Really As Wonderful As You Seem
by Bellarsam Chrisjulittle
Summary: Alternate Universe. June, 1927. Tina Goldstein has been living in London with her newly married sister, Queenie, and her husband, Jacob Kowalski, for two months. Newt Scamander is living in London after his book was published five months ago. Both reluctantly attend the Midsummer Festival that the Ministry throws...and their lives are changed forever.
1. Her Invitation

**A/N:** _Hello, new and faithful readers!_

 _So, this is pure indulgence for me. The idea for this story was in my mind since last summer, and after the angst that COG left me feeling, I knew I had to write it to soothe my Newtina soul. This is completely AU - Newt never came to New York, and Tina, Queenie and Jacob managed to get to England all on their own - and this is a romance with more fluff than angst._

 _I'll update chapters as quickly as I can, but don't expect a regular schedule for them. Please enjoy and leave a review!_

* * *

As Tina Goldstein savored another bite of her freshly-baked Danish pastry, she was reminded that there were serious perks to living with a baker and his wife. Especially when his wife happened to be her little sister.

Said little sister, now named Queenie Kowalski, looked up at her big sister over the table and grinned at her. "Aw, shucks, Teenie!"

Tina smiled back before digging back into her breakfast. Living with a Legilimens for as long as she could remember, Tina had become used to Queenie responding to her thoughts. "You know," said Tina, after she'd swallowed her bite. "Every time I think Jacob has outdone himself, he makes something even more delicious. You've married a _very_ clever man."

Queenie's eyes became bright and, quick as a flash, she was on her feet. She ran around the table and tightly gave Tina a hug from behind. Tina squeezed her arms in response, her own vision becoming a little blurry. Neither would forget how Queenie's romance with the no-maj Jacob (illegal in their native country) nearly tore them apart. Thankfully, it hadn't come to that, and their relationship was stronger than ever. To hear Tina say things like that about her husband meant the world to her little sister, and knowing how truly happy Queenie now was with the man she loved meant the world to her big sister.

Their hug ended when there came a familiar tapping at the kitchen window. Queenie let go of her sister, kissed her dark head, and then practically skipped to the window. She let the barn owl in and untied the rolled-up newspaper and little bundle of mail from its leg. After depositing five knuts in the little bag around his other leg, the owl hooted gratefully and took off.

"I'm going to leave the window open for a while," said Queenie, giving Tina the paper. "It's finally starting to feel like summer outside!"

Tina chuckled at the relief in Queenie's tone. "Good to know you disliked that very wet and chilly spring as much as I did."

Tina, Queenie, and Jacob had moved to England two months ago, in the middle of a very chilly and wet April. Honestly, it had been the only negative aspect of the move: Jacob's new bakery was off to a great start, Queenie reveled in making the apartment above the bakery a true home for the three of them, and Tina was growing more and more confident as an auror on this side of the pond.

As Tina unfurled that morning's edition of _The Daily Prophet_ , Queenie sat back down to look through the few envelopes of mail (Jacob's mail, personal and business, were delivered to the bakery in the No-Maj way). Tina had barely read the front-page headline when her sister squealed her name.

"Teenie!"

Tina jumped a bit in her seat and looked over the paper at her sister. Queenie was holding out a square envelope, slightly larger than the standard kind. Tina's name and address were written on it in fancy calligraphy and royal-blue ink. When she took the envelope from Queenie, Tina noticed that the stationary of the envelope was thick and expensive.

"Open it!" Queenie exclaimed impatiently, practically bouncing up and down on the soles of her feet.

Tina shot her sister a half-hearted glare of disapproval before turning the envelope over. It had been shut with a wax seal, the emblem of the Ministry of Magic pressed in. Tina opened the envelope with a tap of her wand, and it opened easily. Inside the envelope was a single card, made of the same expensive stationary as the envelope.

* * *

 _Miss Porpentina Esther Goldstein,_

 _You are cordially invited to the_ _ **Annual Midsummer Festival**_ _,_

 _A three-evening celebration of our magical community,_

 _Taking place from the_ _ **21**_ _ **st**_ _ **thru 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **of June**_ _,_

 _Beginning each evening at_ _ **19:00**_ _._

 _ **Location:**_ _The Scamander Estate, Surrey_

 _ **First Night:**_ _Festival and Recreation (all ages welcome)_

 _ **Second Night:**_ _Ballet and Banquet (ages 11 and up only)_

 _ **Third Night:**_ _Masquerade Ball (ages 17 and up only)_

 _Please_ _ **RSVP**_ _below by midnight of June 15_ _th_ _._

* * *

Of course, as Tina had read this silently, Queenie had followed right along by reading her sister's thoughts. And before Tina had even finished reading it, Queenie was jumping up and down in place and clapping her hands. " _Oooooo, Teenie!_ " she squealed.

Tina covered an ear with her free hand and chuckled a bit. "Queenie, calm down! What is the big deal? I'd understand this reaction if the invitation were for you, not me." The amusement fell from her face and was replaced with an apology. "I'm sorry that this is only for me."

But Queenie waved that away as she took her seat at the kitchen table again. "Oh, don't be, Teenie. Why would they include me? I'm not a Ministry employee, after all."

Tina nodded and looked back down at the invitation. "I'm just a little surprised…I mean, I'm new to the Ministry. I've only worked there for two months."

Queenie shrugged. "Maybe every Ministry employee is invited regardless. Or maybe it has to do with where it is being held. Isn't your boss named Scamander?"

Tina nodded. "Yeah, Theseus Scamander…this 'estate' in the invitation must belong to his family, because I know he lives in London, not the countryside."

"The Scamanders must be one of those old pureblood families, then," said Queenie thoughtfully, her nose wrinkling in some distaste. "Seems like England and lots of European countries put a lot more stock in family name and blood-status than in America." Queenie paused. "Considering how much of America is comprised of immigrants and refugees, especially where we come from, it's not really surprising."

Tina nodded. "Once or twice at the Ministry, I've seen people give me suspicious looks after they learn my name or hear me talk. Thankfully, none of the people I work directly with do that, but on occasion, in passing…" She sighed, and then brightened. "Thankfully, my boss has _never_ done that, and that gives me hope that the rest of his family won't either."

"What do you know about his family?" asked Queenie.

Tina's mouth twisted as she thought. "Nothing about his immediate family…There's a best-selling book in Flourish and Blott's written by a guy named Scamander, but it's not Theseus, and I don't know if there's a direct relation there…I know that Theseus got engaged recently, though. His fiancée works at the Ministry too, as an assistant to Theseus's direct superior, Travers. What was her name again…" Tina thought for another minute. "Leta, I think…Leta –"

"Leta Lestrange!" interrupted Queenie, remembering. "Yes, I remember reading their engagement announcement in the paper last week!" Her expression darkened slightly. "Lestrange…we've both heard about that family before…if what we heard is true, then they _definitely_ put all value in pureblood status, to say the least."

Tina exhaled through her nose. "I've only seen Leta in passing, I've never talked to her myself. All I can say right now is that, based on what I've learned of my boss, I cannot imagine him marry her if she herself truly subscribes to those beliefs."

Satisfied, Queenie nodded before her expression became excited again. "Now, back to the matter at hand." She pointed to the invitation that Tina still held. "You're going."

Tina let out a sound between a sigh and a groan. Before she could say a word, Queenie spoke again.

"I'll start with the reason that, knowing you, you will take the most seriously: it's being held at your _boss's_ family home. Emphasis on _boss._ "

Tina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I figured that one out already."

She looked back down at the invitation, specifically the options for the RSVP. Aside from a complete refusal option, there were three boxes for each night of the festival that one could check. Tina supposed this option of choosing which nights of the festival to attend as opposed to being required to attend all or nothing had to do with those Ministry employees who had families (there were age limits on some of the nights, after all), and the fact that the Ministry was always running on some level, like St. Mungo's.

Queenie, who knew her sister all too well, didn't have to see where her mind was going and spoke again. "No, Teenie. You should go to all three of them. And not just to impress your new boss." She rested her forearms on the table and leaned forward. "This is our home now, Teenie, and we have to make the best of it. I don't want you to make your work your whole life, like you did back home, especially now that it's not just the two of us anymore."

The young wife's voice was as gentle as it was firm.

"I want you to have your own life here, Teenie. To not just have good co-workers, but real friends that you can hang out with and go dancing with. I want you to open yourself up to that, and to something more with the right guy, when you're ready. Because he _is_ out there, Teenie, no matter what you've convinced yourself in your stubborn head. This festival is the perfect opportunity for you to open some doors for yourself. I'm not askin' for a miracle, Teenie, I'm just asking that you try. Please?"

Tina listened to her sister's case in silence, and then contemplated in silence, staring at the invitation. She knew that her sister was right and had made very valid points. She _had_ made her career her life back in New York City. It had been easier to do that there, though. Not only did she have a job that required a lot of time and attention, but Tina had worked that hard to keep herself and her little sister under a roof. Now, things were different. Queenie was married to a good man with a good business and income; Tina no longer had to look after her in the same way.

For the first time in her life, since her parents died, Tina was free to live her life for _herself_. It was an exciting and scary prospect, and a bit overwhelming either way. But she knew that she owed it to her parents, her sister, and especially herself, to _try_.

So, Tina took a deep breath before pulling out her wand again. With a flick of her wrist, a quill flew out of the ink bottle on the kitchen counter and into her other hand. Before she could hesitate, she checked the box next to each of the three nights. At the very bottom of the invitation was a line for her signature. She signed her name, and a few seconds later, the invitation glowed and vanished away.

Queenie squealed with joy again and ran around the table to give her sister another hug. "Oh, Teenie, thank you!" She kissed her sister's cheek before straightening again. "And don't you worry about what you're going to wear to any of it; _I_ will take care of it. I know clothes shopping gives you a headache, and I am so excited to design something for you again!"

With that, Queenie hurried into the living room, where Tina knew her sister kept a sketchbook and a set of colored pencils. Tina chuckled to herself and shook her head. She knew better than to argue with her sister about this now, and she honestly didn't want to. Besides, the festival was two weeks away; no need to start worrying about it yet. For she knew that she would worry.

For now, though, Tina smiled at her sister's excitement and picked up _The Daily Prophet_ again.


	2. His Invitation

As Newt Scamander broke the surface of his underground lake, holding onto the bridle he'd managed to fasten onto his kelpie for dear life, he let out a joyous shout. In moments like this, he was truly happy. Thankfully, he remembered to take another deep breath before he was plunged underwater again.

Only when he felt as though his lungs were on fire and begging for oxygen did he guide the kelpie back to the surface. Waiting on the stone platform by the artificial lake beside the stone steps leading into the water was his assistant, Bunty, holding a jar of ointment in her hands.

"Someone needed to let off some steam!" said Newt, petting the un-injured side of the kelpie's long neck. Turning his attention to the other side, where a thin gash could just be seen through the mane, he held out a hand while holding onto the bridle with the other. "Ointment, Bunty."

She immediately held out the jar to him, and he scooped out a generous amount with his fingers. As he gently applied it to the gash, he felt the kelpie tense and then relax as the ointment worked into the wound. "Good boy," he soothed. "That feels much better, doesn't it?"

Once Newt was done, he hopped off the kelpie's back and unhooked the bridle. The moment the creature was free, he disappeared beneath the water again.

Suddenly, there came a knocking from above. Newt had enchanted the front door in a way that made a knock heard in any part of his basement. "Oh, seems I have a visitor," murmured Newt, surprised. Turning to his assistant, he said, "Go home now, Bunty. I'll see you tomorrow."

On an ordinary evening, Bunty would have said that she didn't mind staying longer to help him with anything else. But he had company waiting, and she certainly didn't want to be rude and intrude. So, she nodded and apparated away after bidding him good-night.

After quickly drying himself with a flick of his wand, Newt hurried through the basement and up the stairs to his flat. When he opened the basement door, he found that his visitor had already made himself at home.

On the sofa sat his older brother, Theseus, his legs cross casually, and that day's paper open before him. "Good evening, little brother!" he greeted brightly when he saw Newt come through the door.

Newt, however, did _not_ look happy to see who his guest was and did not return his older brother's smile. His body tensed and his shoulders hunched. Shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, he said, "An auror breaking and entering, Theseus?"

Theseus gave a careless shrug as he tossed the paper aside. "All is fair in love and brotherhood," he said. "I stopped by because I have something to give you."

Newt looked up curiously as Theseus stood up and approached him. He reached inside his blazer and pulled out what looked like a square envelope. It took Newt a few seconds to realize what it was, and once he did, his body language became even more tense and closed off (if that were possible). "An owl would have sufficed for that," he muttered.

"Well, I made the logical deduction that, if this invitation _did_ come to you by owl, it would conveniently get lost until the festival was over. Just like the one for my engagement party last week did." His tone of voice had become a little more pointed.

Newt hung his head. "I said I was sorry, Theseus," he said to his shoes.

"Mm-hm," said Theseus as he pulled out his wand; the subtext of his tone was clearly ' _I don't believe you._ ' He tapped the envelope, it opened, and he pulled out the invitation.

Sighing and squirming slightly, wishing desperately that he could disappear into his basement again, he said, "Theseus, you _know_ I don't like large parties like this –"

"Read it."

Knowing that he couldn't argue when his brother used this tone of voice, Newt grabbed the invitation and read it.

* * *

 _Mr. Newton Artemis Fido Scamander,_

 _You are cordially invited to the_ _ **Annual Midsummer Festival**_ _,_

 _A three-evening celebration of our magical community,_

 _Taking place from the_ _ **21**_ _ **st**_ _ **thru 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **of June**_ _,_

 _Beginning each evening at_ _ **19:00**_ _._

 _ **Location:**_ _The Scamander Estate, Surrey_

 _ **First Night:**_ _Festival and Recreation (all ages welcome)_

 _ **Second Night:**_ _Ballet and Banquet (ages 11 and up only)_

 _ **Third Night:**_ _Masquerade Ball (ages 17 and up only)_

 _Please_ _ **RSVP**_ _below by midnight of June 15_ _th_ _._

* * *

Once he was finished, Newt looked up at Theseus in surprise. "Mum and Dad are hosting it this year?"

Theseus nodded. "They've been wanting to for a while now. With my engagement and your book a bestseller, they saw it as a reason to celebrate." A little smile came to Theseus's face. "Remember the last time they hosted it when we were kids? We'd sneak down and steal the desserts from the kitchen on the banquet night?"

Newt _did_ remember, and it _had_ been fun to do that with his big brother back then, but now… "Why must I come, Theseus? I certainly wouldn't be the life of the party, and it certainly hasn't mattered in the past when I haven't gone."

"It was different before, Newt," said Theseus. "Before your book, nobody cared that you weren't at the festival because you were researching abroad or politely declining. Now, with your book a best-seller, and our family hosting it, you can't afford _not_ to be there. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is in our community, and you know it."

Since Newt couldn't argue with the argument that his older brother made, he reacted like a little brother: he pouted. Since he was no longer under five feet tall, though, Newt resorted to crossing his arms and pacing around the room. Theseus let him blow off some steam, but then stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Just try to look on the bright side a bit, Newt. You know every hiding place in the house and on the grounds. Just show your face long enough each night so people will know you're there, and then you can make yourself scarce. Alright?"

Newt took a long, steadying breath before he reluctantly walked to his desk, invitation still clenched in his hands. Looking as though he were handling Nundu droppings, Newt picked up his quill, ticked each of the three acceptance boxes, and signed it.

Once the invitation had glowed and vanished, Theseus said sincerely, "Thank you, Newt."

Newt gave a curt nod before briefly glancing at his brother and saying, "Will you be staying there during the festival?"

"Leta and I plan to, yes," said Theseus. "Mum and Dad will have help from the Ministry, but we'd like to help them all we can. I'm sure they'd appreciate having you there, too, especially Mum. She could always use a hand with the 'griffs, if nothing else."

Newt could hear the gentle plea beneath his brother's casual tone. Merlin, why did his brother have to be so… _right_ sometimes? So, he nodded and said, "I'll write to Mum and let her know when I'm coming."

Theseus smiled again and pulled Newt in for a hug. "Again, Newt, thank you."

Newt, as he always did when he was hugged, didn't respond and just stood there awkwardly.

Thankfully, Theseus let him go quickly. "I'll see you soon," he said before disapparating away.

Now that he was alone, Newt let out a huge gust of breath in frustration before throwing himself onto his bed. Covering his eyes with his forearm, he focused his mind on all that he had to do for each creature the following morning. Soon, he thought so hard about it that the festival was pushed to the back of his mind. Where he would keep pushing it for the next two weeks.

After all, why think about something that would only be extremely tedious and uncomfortable for him? Merlin knows that nothing good could come of it.


	3. Their Mornings

On the morning of June the twenty-first, Tina Goldstein was _not_ in a good mood. She had a naturally fast pace when she walked, so much so that those who knew her always knew to never get in front of her when she was on the move. On this morning, her pace was even faster than normal as she charged down the pavement of a London sidewalk.

She had good reason to be frustrated, though. This last week's weather had felt as though the clock had been set back four months – unusually cold and even more wet than it should be in June. As a result, some people in the city fell sick with a nasty cold, and one of those people was Queenie. Her sister had woken up that morning with a stuffed head, stuffed nose, and a hacking cough that broke her's and Jacob's heart.

The only mercy that morning was that the day had dawned warm and bright, with hardly a cloud in the sky. In the back of her mind, she recognized that this was good news for another reason: the Midsummer Festival began tonight, and the unseasonable weather would certainly have put a damper on things. But her main focus right now was her sister, not the festival.

Tina nearly walked past The Leaky Cauldron in her hurry, but thankfully caught herself before she would have had to turn around. She hurried through the dim but crowded pub and exited into the back alley. She had been to this hidden alley enough times to know which bricks in which order to tap with her wand. As the alleyway entrance appeared, Tina allowed herself an appreciative smile as Diagon Alley was revealed to her.

This had become her favorite place in London soon after moving there. She had lived most of her life in a city where the only places that she didn't have to hide in plain sight were her home and the Woolworth Building, and Ilvermorny before that. Being in a place like this made Tina's spirit sing. She thought of the festival again, and realized that it too would be an even bigger place not to hide.

 _Always look on the bright side, I suppose,_ Tina thought.

Usually, when she went to Diagon Alley, the first (sometimes only) place that she went to was Flourish and Blott's book shop. She could easily spend an entire day inside that store, just browsing and reading. But she forced herself to walk past it this time. Her stride slowed enough to look inside the front window display. Among a few other small displays, the most prominent one was the book that she had mentioned to Queenie that was written by a man who shared her boss's last name.

The book had been in the front window ever since she'd first come to Flourish and Blott's. From the title, Tina had deduced that it was about magical creatures. It didn't look very long at all, either. Tina made a mental note to look through it the next time she came to the book shop. She knew next to nothing about magical creatures, and if this book was a best-seller, it was worth a closer look.

For now, though, Tina headed straight to the apothecary. Her sister needed all of the Pepper-Up Potion that she could get.

* * *

At the same time, in the kitchen of a grand manor home in the Surrey countryside, Newt Scamander was sitting still rather than rapidly walking. At the kitchen table, an empty plate and glass beside him, he was lost in reflections. Head in hand, elbow on table, his mind was taking him back to his childhood. The memory that Theseus had recalled to him two weeks ago was playing in his mind: both him and Theseus sneaking down to the kitchens in their pajamas, crawling on all fours underneath the tables to avoid anybody seeing, stuffing as many pastries into their robes' pockets as they could before making a beeline for the stairs. It _had_ been fun…

A tugging on his long-sleeved shirt's cuff brought his attention back to the present. Raising his forearm, he saw that Pickett (a bowtruckle who had some serious but adorable attachment issues) was hanging off of the button of his shirt-sleeve's wrist. Apparently bored, the little stick-insect was idly swinging back and forth, the thread become looser and looser. Newt watched with quiet amusement.

Finally, the thread snapped, and both the button and Pickett fell to the stone floor. The button began rolling away, and the two of them watched it for a moment before both scrambled to catch it first. Newt just managed to beat the bowtruckle, chuckling as he did so.

The sound of another chuckle – a very familiar, female chuckle – filling the kitchen made Newt freeze for a second. Turning his head, he saw a pair of feminine feet in slippers standing in the kitchen doorway. Standing up, Newt took in the sight of Leta Lestrange.

"Good morning, Newt," she said, giving him a small smile. She was beautiful, always had been. She was beautiful now even in her nightgown, magenta robe and slippers.

Newt focused his gaze just over her shoulder, quietly replying, "Good morning, Leta."

There was tension in the air, tension created by all of the history between them, and the both of them could feel it. While it made Newt tense and on his guard, Leta tried to cut through it and lessen it.

"I'm glad that you decided to stay at the house with the rest of us through the festival," she said, her tone carefully gentle and clear. "We've missed seeing you, especially Theseus. He was disappointed when you didn't come to our engagement party. We both were."

"Well, I was busy," replied Newt, trying to make his tone apologetic, but it came off a little more dismissive than he intended.

"He's your brother, Newt. He likes spending time with you. And so do I."

Newt's posture tensed even more. This was the first time in years that the two of them had been alone together. How much had changed since then…

Thankfully, Pickett chose that moment to remind them both that they were not, in fact, alone. His urgent chattering made the both of them look down at Newt's feet. The bowtruckle was standing up by Newt's feet, waving both of his hands for Newt, one of them holding Newt's cuff button.

Glad for a distraction, Newt bent down and picked the bowtruckle up off the floor. "Hop in, Pickett," he said as he held him to the breast-pocket of his mustard-colored waistcoat. Pickett happily climbed inside and snuggled down.

Leta, watching this exchange, smiled and spoke again. "Why do strange creatures love you so much?"

Newt's reply was automatic: "Well, there are no strange creatures –"

"– only blinkered people," Leta finished the sentence along with him. She smiled again, and Newt couldn't help but reciprocate – but only just.

"How long did you get in detention for saying that to Prendergast?" asked Leta, still smiling.

Scratching the back of neck, Newt relaxed slightly as he reminisced with her. "You know, I think it was a month that time."

"And I set off a Dungbomb under his desk so I could join you, do you remember?"

Just as Newt lifted his head to nod, he saw his brother's own slippered feet appear on the steps leading down into the kitchen. Immediately, he lowered his head and took a step back from her. "No, I actually don't remember that."

Rebuffed, Leta lowered her head, but immediately raised it when Theseus entered the room with a smile of greeting. "Theseus!"

"Good morning, you two," he said, winking at Leta and smiling at Newt as he made his way to the pantry. "Shall I make eggs for breakfast?"

"If they're scrambled, then yes," replied Leta. "I can never make them as delicious as you can."

"I already ate breakfast, thanks," said Newt abruptly, the tips of his ears coloring.

"The Ministry workers will be here in about half an hour," said Theseus as he pulled out some eggs. "I'll eat now and then change before they get here. While I'm sure that they'll have no trouble in getting the various tents and stands set up on the grounds, Newt, perhaps you can make sure that nothing is set up to close to the hippogriff stables. I'd like for Mum to have a lie-in today, since she's just turned the bend on that cold caused by the horrible weather we had last week."

Newt nodded. "I'll just go and make sure that the 'griffs are all settled before they arrive."

With that, Newt did everything but run out of the kitchen. And if either Theseus or Leta looked disappointed by his abrupt departure, he made it a point not to notice.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Some of Newt and Leta's dialogue is taken directly from CoG. I'll do that in future chapters from both movies, because if JK Rowling can express it better, who am I to try and ruin it?_


	4. Her First Arrival

When the afternoon began to wind down, Tina's nerves about the festival finally emerged. Her nerves were already primed and hot because of her sister's illness, even though it was just a common cold. But when a person has lost both parents within days of each other due to an illness first thought to be a nasty flu that turned into dragonpox, any kind of illness is enough to make you scared.

She ate a small dinner in the kitchen quickly without really tasting anything. Once she was done, she approached the bedroom that Queenie and Jacob shared.

Her sister was lying in bed, propped up by pillows, with tissues on the nightstand. Jacob sat on the bed beside her, holding a steaming bowl of soup in his hands and feeding her himself.

When Queenie caught sight of her sister in the doorway, she waved a hand in reassurance. "Don't worry so much, Teenie," she said, her voice quiet and hoarse. "I can feed myself perfectly well, but it makes Jacob feel better to do it."

Tina relaxed slightly, but she was still worried. "Maybe I shouldn't go –"

"Oh, yes, you are!" Queenie said as loudly as she could with her limited voice. Thankfully, she soon deduced Tina's biggest worry and sighed. "Teenie, I promise you, I will be just fine. It's just a cold. If I don't show any signs of improvement by tomorrow, we'll fetch a healer. How does that sound?"

Tina sighed and nodded.

Jacob spoke to Tina. "I'll be right here with her while you're gone, Tina. If you make sure she has her last dose of that pepper potion before you go, then I'll stay up with her for anything else."

Tina nodded. From the first moment that she had met Jacob, even when she was angry and terrified about the situation the two of them were in, she could see how much he loved her sister. She knew that he would take care of her.

"Alright," she said. "I won't stay past midnight, though. I'll come home by then so that you can get some rest, Jacob. Honestly, I probably won't stay longer than an hour or two, but either way, I'll make sure you won't have to stay up all night."

Jacob nodded his thanks. Queenie then pointed to the chest that was placed by the foot of the bed. On top of the chest was a large white box, the kind that clothes were put in. "There's your outfit for tonight. Go put it on and show it to me before you go."

Tina nodded, picked up the box, and left for her own bedroom down the hall.

* * *

Queenie had always loved beautiful things, and she had a creative side to her, especially when it came to clothes. Growing up without much money had taught her how to be resourceful and clever about expressing that creativity. For the most part, she had expressed her talent in her own clothing. Tina couldn't remember a time when Queenie would not make her own personal touches, adjustments or signatures to any article of clothing that her sister would find.

For the past two weeks, Queenie had used her creative talent in taking care of Tina's three-part wardrobe for the festival. However, she had kept what she was working on a secret from her sister, wanting to surprise her. Tina hadn't objected for she trusted Queenie's judgement. Not every big sister could say that they trusted their little sister not to make her look foolish, but Tina was very glad that she could without a doubt. So, whenever Queenie needed to, Tina would let her measure her and take notes.

Now, for the first time, Tina was seeing the fruits of her sister's labor. Standing in front of the mirror in her room, to say that Tina was impressed would be an understatement. She barely recognized herself in the lovely woman in the reflection of the mirror.

The dress was a simple, classic summer dress design: modest neckline, cupped sleeves that only covered her shoulders, skirt ending just below the knees. The fabric was soft and felt lovely on her skin, and the dress fit her perfectly. The color was the softest, loveliest lilac, which Queenie knew was one of Tina's favorite colors.

But what touched Tina's heart the most was the special detail that Queenie had given to the dress. Along the neckline, the edges of the sleeves, around her waist, and around the hem of the dress, Queenie had sewn in a pattern of lilac blossoms and petals, just a shade darker than the dress.

To accent the whole look, Tina wore a simple cloche hat, the color of which matched her dress, that was accented with a cluster of lilac blossoms.

Lilacs had been their mother's favorite flower.

Looking in the mirror, Tina's eyes fell to the locket resting between her breasts, and she finally acknowledged that she was really looking at herself. She held the locket between her fingers, rubbing the old pendant for a moment. She didn't open it, though; looking at her mother's and father's pictures would make her tear up in her nervous state.

In the reflection, over her shoulder, she saw that it was nearly seven o'clock. So, Tina took a deep breath, slipped her wand into the hidden pocket of the dress (standard for any witch's garment), and left her bedroom.

As Queenie had asked, Tina returned to her and Jacob. Jacob gave her an approving and encouraging nod, and Queenie smiled so brightly that Tina nearly forgot that she was sick. The blonde lifted a hand and twirled her finger. Rolling her eyes, Tina complied and turned on the spot. Jacob teased her with a light wolf-whistle, earning him a slap on the arm from his wife. "Have a good time, Tina," he said, chuckling.

"Please try, Teenie," Queenie rasped, and blew her a kiss.

Tina returned the gesture, took another deep breath, and disapparated away.

* * *

Like every other person who had RSVPed 'yes' to the festival, Tina had received travel instructions in the week before. She had chosen to apparate there, so she had firmly put into her mind the apparition point that the instructions had drawn out for her.

Thankfully, it worked, and when she landed on her feet, Tina found herself being greeted by a Ministry worker. "Welcome!" the woman greeted, pointing behind her. "Follow the path through the gates to the festival."

Her tone was polite but urgent, and Tina started moving before she was finished, knowing that she shouldn't linger in a public apparition point. She was soon following a group of families who had just arrived by portkey down a dirt path and towards a pair of open, gilded gates.

Once they had passed through, Tina had to stop for a moment and catch her breath. Before her was a vast landscape of pure magic. Never before had she seen so many witches and wizards of all ages, so many magical families, all together. In the open and not hiding. She quickly blinked back happy tears so that she could take it all in.

Standing on the path as other new arrivals hurried past her, she saw that this would eventually lead to a grand house some yards away. The setting sun provided the entire scene with a soft glow. The vast grounds around it were filled with various tents and stands of different colors. The air was filled with excited chatter and children's laughter, especially some distance to the left where a playground had been set up. A jazz tune was being played some distance away in a lighted pavilion; Tina saw couples and young people dancing to the lively tune.

It was as the auror was standing there, having no idea of where to even begin, that she heard her name called by a familiar voice:

"Goldstein!"

Turning her head, she saw her boss, Theseus Scamander, approaching her. He was smiling, wearing a light tweed suit with no tie, looking utterly at ease and happy. On his arm was a woman that Tina recognized as his fiancée, Leta. She wore lovely turquoise summer dress that looked to be made of silk, and her long hair fell in smooth curls down her back.

"Hello, Mr. Scamander," she said, smiling back as she shook his hand.

"I don't think you two have properly met yet," said Theseus, indicating the woman on his arm. "This is my fiancée, Leta Lestrange."

The beautiful woman stepped forward and took Tina's hand in hers. "It's so nice to meet you, Miss Goldstein. Theseus speaks very highly of you."

Being properly face-to-face with her for the first time, Tina saw just what a striking beauty the shorter woman was. Having lived with a striking beauty her whole life, Tina didn't allow herself to feel intimidated in any way. She had long ago accepted the fact that she would never be the most beautiful, or even beautiful, and she'd never lost any sleep over that.

"Please call me Tina," said Tina. "And you have a very flattering fiancée."

"No, I'm a very honest one," said Theseus. "You're a wonderful addition to my team, and I'm glad that you could come tonight."

"Have you come with anybody?" asked Leta kindly.

Tina shook her head, refusing to let herself feel (even more) self-conscious. "No, just me. I live with my sister and her husband. Unfortunately, she caught a bad cold from the awful weather we've been having."

Leta gave a sympathetic groan, and Theseus winced in sympathy. "My mother caught one, as well. Thankfully, she is back on her feet just in time to be hostess, so hopefully your sister will be back on her feet within a day or two."

"That's very good to hear," said Tina, glad of this information that allowed her worry about Queenie to lessen. "And please let me say that everything looks…spectacular so far."

"Thank you." Theseus then looked over Tina's shoulder at the people coming through the gates and gave her an apologetic smile. "Excuse us, Goldstein, but we're also playing the part of host and hostess tonight. Please, go and enjoy yourself."

"It was lovely to properly meet you," said Leta, pressing her hand again.

"You too," replied Tina before stepping aside so that the couple could greet other incoming guests.

Tina then resumed walking down the dirt path that led to the grand house. Soon, little colorful tents that vendors had set up were on either side of her. Around her and past her, more people and families were walking, eager to enjoy themselves. Feeling self-conscious and a little overwhelmed, Tina quickly side-stepped off the path so that she could stand inconspicuously between two of the vendors.

Fingering her locket nervously, Tina felt at a complete loss of what to do. She still wanted to observe and explore all that the festival had to offer. But seeing all of these couples and families surrounding her had reminded her of just how much of a fish out of water she was here. A single American auror, who barely knew the colleagues that she had outside of the office, with enough social awkwardness to fill a lake. Queenie wanted her to make a new life for herself here by making new friends…but Tina didn't even know where to start! She could hardly just walk up to random strangers and start up a friendly conversation. Queenie or Jacob could, they had that confidence and social skill, but not Tina.

But Tina was never one to give up so easily. She was not going to disappoint her sister, especially because she knew that Queenie was right about this. So, Tina formed a rough plan in her mind.

She would definitely explore each part of this festival, see if any recreational activities or wares that the vendors were selling caught her eye. If they did, she would try to be sociable, try to strike up a conversation that would hopefully lead to more than small talk. She would end at the pavilion where jazz music was playing and people were dancing. Tina loved to dance and always had. Hopefully, it would be another way to meet new people.

Then, just as she was about to put this plan into motion, something across the path caught her eye. Since it was a little hard to see through the people walking by, Tina crossed the path so that she stood in between two other vendors. Now, Tina got a clear view of what was laying there on the grass: a doll.

Picking it up, Tina's observant eyes saw that, not only did this doll have a headful of red yarn and a bright pink dress, this doll was hand-made and far from new. This doll was well-loved, and it was certainly missed by someone.

Tina's first instinct was to walk over to the playground where so many of the children were playing, but then she got a better idea. Taking out her wand, she carefully waved it all over the doll as she murmured, " _Imagini exemplum._ " She then pointed her wand upwards. In the next second, a bright and ghostly image – a perfect projection of the doll – was hovering above her head, just high enough to be seen over the vendor's stalls and tents.

Tina stood still, prepared to wait as long as it took for the owner of the doll to see the spell that she had made.

* * *

As she stood there, waiting with her wand raised, Tina was being watched. The eyes had not only watched Tina's actions in regards to the doll, but also the admiring passing glances of those walking past her, seeing what she was doing.

This pair of eyes, though invisible to anybody looking in their direction, were large, bright blue, gifted with foresight, and not human.


	5. Meeting Through Crisis

Only a few minutes had passed before Tina's efforts produced a result.

" _SISSY!_ "

A little girl of five or six, with bright red hair and lots of freckles, was running towards Tina, her green eyes going from the projection of her doll to her real doll in Tina's arms. Smiling, Tina made the image disappear with a flick and crouched down to be at eye-level with the little girl. "Does she belong to you?" she asked kindly, holding out the doll that looked so much like the little girl towards her.

"Yes!" said the little girl, snatching the doll and hugging it close to her. "Oh, Sissy, I was so scared!" she said to the doll, kissing the yarn of her hair.

A woman who could only be this little girl's mother – her hair was just as brightly red and her eyes just as brightly green – soon joined them, wrapping an arm around her daughter and giving Tina a grateful smile. "Thank you so much," she said. "What do you say, Rosie?"

"Thank you, miss," said Rosie, still hugging her doll.

"My pleasure," replied Tina sincerely. She remembered when Queenie had been that age, and how attached she had been to her own doll, Becky.

"Come on, Rosie, let's go find your father," said the mother, giving Tina one last smile before turning. "Thank you again!"

"Bye!" said Rosie before walking away with her mother, Sissy safely in her arms.

Tina waved as she watched them walk away, smiling and satisfied with her efforts. If Queenie had ever lost Becky when she was that age, Tina shuddered to think about results. Feeling a little bit more confidence in herself, Tina was ready to enjoy the festival as much as she could.

But just as she was about to take a step forward back onto the path, something stopped her. She felt a tugging on the back of the skirt of her dress. Turning around and looking down, she saw that something was indeed tugging on the bottom of her dress – but that something was invisible. It seemed to be tugging her towards the back of the vendor tent to her right.

Tina followed only because she was caught by surprise. Once behind the tent, her hand slipped into the hidden pocket of her dress and fingered her wand. Thankfully, the source of the tugging revealed itself once both were behind the vendor tent. And Tina became even _more_ shocked.

Standing in front of her was some kind of monkey. Slightly smaller than a chimpanzee, this monkey had silver fur and bright blue eyes. Its face had the quality of an old soul; that and its power of invisibility meant that this must be a type of magical creature.

In the back of her mind, Tina wished that she had read that popular book about magical creatures she'd seen on display in Flourish and Blott's. Then at least she might know what she was dealing with.

Though she kept her hand inside her wand pocket, Tina's instinct was telling her that this creature meant no harm. "Umm…hello there," she said, because she had no idea what else she could say about this comical situation.

Seemingly satisfied that she wouldn't react aggressively or defensively, the creature began to mime urgently. He switched between tugging gently on her dress and pointing to the edge of the wood some distance away. Tina looked to where the creature seemed to be pointing, and saw that something was moving on the edge of the wood. Squinting, she could make out the silhouette of a person, pacing back and forth.

Looking back down at the creature – and not really sure why she was trusting this creature to understand her words – she asked, "Are you asking for my help?"

The creature nodded his head, motioned for her to follow him, and began a four-legged jog across the grass and towards the wood. Tina followed at his pace, her curiosity through the roof and her hand still enclosed around her wand in her pocket. As an auror, she had been trained to always be ready for anything. As Tina kept up with this strange creature, Tina was realizing that there were some things that were too strange and out-of-the-blue you couldn't prepare for.

* * *

The festival was the last thing that was on Newt Scamander's mind right now. As he paced back and forth, his suitcase close by and clutching a small pair of omnioculars in his hands, his heart ached as he listened to the pained noises coming from the woods. Pickett, in the breast pocket of his teal coat, tried to chatter to him soothingly, but it didn't help. _Merlin, if Dougal didn't come back with mother soon…_

The sound of a familiar cooing made him stop his pacing in relief. Sure enough, there was Dougal, looking quite pleased with himself. But when Newt raised his gaze, he didn't see what he expected to see at all.

What he saw instead was…most definitely _not_ his mother. For one thing, this woman was much younger; she looked to be his own age, perhaps a few years younger, even. She was tall, as tall as him, with pale skin and short, dark hair. She wore a simple but lovely lilac summer dress and matching cloche hat. Her eyes, even in the twilight, seemed to shine like fire in very dark water.

Newt was struck speechless.

"Are you alright, sir?" said the woman, looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

Newt blinked, at a complete loss for words. Thankfully, another pained whinny from within the wood broke him out of his stasis and focused his mind on what needed to be done. "I am perfectly fine, but I do need your help, miss. Do you hear that noise?"

The woman nodded, and then pointed to Dougal. "Is it one of…um…"

Newt shook his head. "No, no, it's not a demiguise, it's actually a foal."

The woman squinted. "Foal…a baby horse?"

"Actually, a baby unicorn."

Newt watched the woman's eyes widen in awe and wonder, and he honestly couldn't blame her. Unicorns were among the rarest and most precious creatures recognized by the magical community, especially in Britain. Of all of the magical creatures that Muggles were aware of (even if they didn't necessarily believe they were real), unicorns were the only creatures that had received an accurate reputation with Muggles.

"A un… _unicorn?_ "

"Yes," said Newt, and then remembered what he was holding. "Here, see for yourself." He held out his omnioculars to the woman and pointed into the trees.

The woman lifted the omnioculars to her eyes and turned them in the direction that he was pointing. Within a few seconds, an awed gasp that soon became a concerned inhale came from the woman. "Oh, Morrigan…the poor baby…it's…it's golden!"

"Um, yes," Newt hurried to explain. "All unicorns are born golden, then turn silver in their adolescence, and become pure white when they reach adulthood."

"Really? Wow…" The woman gave another sympathetic groan. "Looks like its front right leg is the problem…"

"It's a girl," said Newt reflexively, not liking any creature to be called 'it' but knowing it was because of innocent ignorance on this woman's part. "I can tell even from here that this foal is female."

To her credit, the woman took it in her stride. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you know what happened?"

"Well, you see those rocks near the stream? I think the foal may have stumbled on those trying to get a drink, and now her front right limb may be broken."

The woman shook her head, still gazing through the omnioculars. "Thank Morrigan her mother is there and hasn't abandoned her –"

"Oh, she wouldn't do that," said Newt, firmly. "Unicorn mothers are fiercely protective of their foals."

The woman lowered the omnioculars and looked at Newt. "What can we do?"

It was as if they hadn't just met, that Dougal hadn't brought a complete stranger to help him. Right now, they were two people who wanted the same thing: to help a hurt baby.

"I would go myself if I could," said Newt. "But, you see, unicorns normally avoid all human contact. And they are much more likely to approach a female rather than a male. Foals are not as fearful, and will approach men as well as women, but the mother is there. As I said, mother unicorns are fiercely protective, so I feel if I, as a man, approached them, she will _not_ react well."

The woman nodded in understanding. "And that's why I'm here, why you had your…um…" She pointed to Dougal in confusion and apology.

"Oh, this is Dougal, my demiguise," said Newt. Dougal, in turn, bowed his head to the woman.

She looked from the demiguise back to Newt, her face alighting in an amused smile. " _Dougal_?"

Newt felt his ears grow warm, returning her smile for a moment. "Actually, I…I sent Dougal to find my mother, I don't really know why he…I mean, he has the gift of foresight, so perhaps he saw you in his mind's eye and…I don't know…" He stopped himself from rambling, embarrassed now as he remembered that Dougal had brought back a total stranger. How good of a witch was she? Would she truly be able to help?

This woman, though, seemed to see where his mind was going. She took a step towards him and locked her gaze with his. He normally hated eye contact, but now he found that he couldn't look away.

"Well, I'm here, and I'd like to help. I'm not a healer, but I _am_ well-trained in magical first-aid. I think time is critical right now, but if you can only trust your mother to help, then I'll help you find her. What's it gonna be?"

Newt had already deduced from her accent that she was American; that last sentence was the most American expression that he'd ever heard. He didn't even know this woman's name, but her direct gaze, her clear voice…the compassion and worry that she showed for the foal...the fact that she had followed Dougal to him and not reacted to him in fear or panic…Newt believed her. He believed that she could help.

So, he nodded and said, "Then I gladly accept your help."

* * *

Tina felt like she was dreaming. It was the most plausible explanation as to why she was in the situation she was in. But this couldn't be a dream, because she could never have imagined the scenario that she found herself in now.

She was now walking, as slowly and carefully as she could, through the wood on the Scamander estate. Beside her, Dougal the demiguise was accompanying her, and she found that she was glad of his company. Her nerves were fluttering inside her stomach as she went over the instructions the man she had just met ( _Morrigan, why didn't I ask for his name?_ ) had given her.

As she got closer, the flashes of pure white and gold became more frequent, and her heart began to pound. She couldn't believe she was about to come face-to-face with unicorns! These were creatures that she had only ever heard stories about and seen beautiful pictures of. Never in her wildest dreams did she believe she would actually meet one, let alone a mare and her foal!

When she came to the edge of the small clearing that the stream ran through, Tina stopped, finally getting a clear view of these majestic creatures. The poor baby lay on the ground on her side, holding up her front right leg. The injured limb was badly scraped, bleeding, and it was clear that a bone was broken. Her mother stood close behind her, in an upright and alert stance, staring directly at Tina.

She paid no mind to Dougal, who had hurried forward to sit by the foal and stroke her mane in comfort. All of the majestic creature's attention had focused on Tina.

The young woman dared not look away, wondering if this is how witches and wizards who had come face-to-face with Merlin or Morrigan had felt. This creature so indescribably beautiful, with its pure white mane, gleaming horn, and sparkling eyes. Her hands, which had been carefully holding a small apple, opened so that both mother and baby could see what she held.

The man's voice echoed through her mind:

" _The unicorn is among the wisest of creatures on the face of the Earth. They can sense the true nature of a person, and their true intentions. The mother will see that you've come to help her baby. Treat them with respect, do nothing without a sign of permission from the mother, and you will be just fine."_

After what seemed like an eternal minute of looking into each other's eyes (the mother unicorn wouldn't blink so Tina didn't dare), the baby anguished whines had turned into excited pleas – she had spotted the apple in Tina's hand. Sensing this reaction from her baby, and seeming to see what she needed to see from Tina, the mother let out a soft snort and waved her head towards her baby.

Relieved, Tina walked towards the baby and knelt down beside her. She held out the apple, and the baby eagerly ate it from her mouth. The sensation of the foal's lips tickling her palm made her breathlessly laugh, a big smile on her face. Dougal looked on approvingly.

Tina sat, watched the foal, and waited. Sure enough, soon after she had finished eating the delicious apple, the foal seemed to relax completely. She leaned her head against Dougal, who continued to pet her golden mane soothingly. Tina nodded to herself, glad that the next step of the plan worked.

" _I've soaked this apple with a potion that will completely numb the foal's pain for a few minutes. That will allow you to fix her broken limb without any discomfort to her. But remember: ask her mother first. Not with words, just meet her eye. She may trust you enough to be near her foal, but she will be furious if you do anything to her foal without her permission."_

So, Tina put her hand into the pocket that held her wand and looked the mother in the eye again. As she looked into her eyes, Tina slowly pulled out her wand, hiding nothing in her gaze or her actions, doing her best to convey her intentions wordlessly.

Another long and un-blinking moment later, the mother looked at her foal, taking in the fact that her pain had been taken away. Looking back at Tina, she blinked and took one small step back. The intention was clear: _Do what you are here to do._

Tina took a deep breath and bent over the broken and bloodied limb. She had mended a few broken bones during her career for her colleagues, when they were in the middle of an operation and had no time to go to the hospital. But she was still nervous; this was not a human, after all. But the spell was still the same; the man had assured her, and he really seemed to know what he was talking about.

So, Tina placed the tip of her wand against the part of the leg she could see was the problem, mustered up all of her concentration with a deep breath, and murmured, " _Os Instaurabo._ "

The limb twitched with a soft sound that was a cross between a click and a snap. Looking at the limb, Tina could see that everything was as it should be. Sighing in great relief, Tina murmured another spell: " _Aguamenti_." A gush of warm water flowed from her wand, washing the scrapes on the foal's leg.

When Tina was finished, she pocketed her wand, looked up at the mother, and nodded reassuringly: _Your baby is just fine._

The mother's stance visibly relaxed. She turned her head to look at her foal, lowered her head, and gently nudged her offspring against her back. The baby, her pain gone and obeying her mother, carefully stood up one leg at a time. The last leg she tried was the one that had been injured, and when she realized that she was all better, she gave a happy whinny and happily ran to her mother. The mother unicorn snorted and nodded her head towards Tina: _Say 'thank you' to the one who helped you._

The foal trotted back to Tina; because Tina was seated on the ground, they were at eye level. The foal gave a happy whinny and nuzzled Tina's cheek and neck. Getting choked up, Tina laughed and stroked the foal's neck. "You're very welcome, beautiful," she said. "Just be more careful next time, ok?"

The foal then retreated back to her mother's side. Again, Tina looked into the mother's eyes. She couldn't breathe as the majestic mother, still holding Tina's gaze, bowed her head towards Tina in gratitude. In response, all Tina could do was place her hand over her heart as her eyes filled with tears.

Then, mother and daughter turned and walked away. Soon, they had disappeared behind the trees of the wood.

Tina remained seated on the ground, her hand over her heart, cementing what had just happened into her memory forever. Overwhelmed, she shut her eyes and smiled, so happy that this had happened and that she'd been able to help.

* * *

From the edge of the wood, Newt had watched this entire scene unfold through his omnioculars. He was so transfixed, watching this stranger he'd barely met exceed all of his hopes and expectations about the situation. When the mother and foal had retreated, he did not follow them with his eyes. He was focused completely on this woman, still seated on the ground with her eyes closed and her hand over her heart.

" _Beautiful…_ " The word was so soft that he didn't know that it had even escaped his lips.

Only when Dougal came into his view through the omnioculars, waving his arms for him to come and join him, did Newt seem to unfreeze. He lowered and pocketed his omnioculars before walking into the woods so that he could join them.


	6. The Festival, Part 1

Tina was broken out of her reverie when she heard footsteps approaching her. Opening her eyes, she saw the man who had accepted her help step into the clearing and stop in front of her. After setting down the plain brown suitcase that he carried, he held out both of his hands, and she took them.

As she stood up, Tina's brown eyes met his blue ones. The lighting was dim now that twilight had truly set in, but the way he was looking at her…his eyes were like two stars. What was the expression in them? Whatever it was, it was powerful, and it made her feel warm all over…

Eventually, he spoke in an awed, choked voice. "That was…you were absolutely…I can't even begin to…" He suddenly shook his head. "I'm so sorry, I'm doing everything all wrong. Merlin shame me, I don't even know your name, miss."

Touched by his awkwardness, Tina softly laughed. "Well, you're not the only one doing things out of order; I don't know yours, either."

"My name is Newt," he said, almost obediently.

Tina smiled, endeared. "And mine's Tina."

"Tina…" murmured Newt, hardly aware that he was saying it aloud. Tina's cheeks turned pink, still smiling.

Then, they both looked down, and noticed that they were still holding hands. The spell was broken: both let go of each other and stepped back with red faces. But there was still the echo of a smile on both of their faces.

It was Dougal who then got their attention by softly chirping to Newt. The man nodded and said, "Thank you for your help, Dougal." He then bent down and opened his case towards the creature. "Now, in you hop. And if any of the occamy hatchlings wake up or get restless, you know what to do."

Dougal nodded, waved to Tina (who waved back) and went inside the suitcase. Tina could just see that a ladder or narrow stair led down into a world that Newt must have put inside this suitcase.

"What else have you got in there?" she asked, a chuckle in her voice.

For a moment, Newt looked ready and eager to answer her. But then, in the next moment, his expression closed off as his face reddened. Looking at her right shoe, he mumbled, "Umm…the festival…may I escort you back?"

Not sure what had happened to make him embarrassed, and desperate to put him back at ease, Tina smiled reassuringly and said, "I'd like that."

Newt briefly met her eyes and then awkwardly stuck out his arm; his posture had relaxed somewhat, though. Deciding to take what she could get, Tina slipped her hand around the crook of his elbow, and followed his lead out of the trees.

* * *

Neither of them knew it, but both Newt and Tina were feeling exactly the same things:

Completely enraptured by the other, and completely terrified for the other shoe to drop by their own doing.

For Newt, he was sure that he had just met a very extraordinary woman. And he was sure that there were a million things that he could do to make her walk away forever. After all, he had a tendency to annoy people, especially when he talked about creatures. Whether or not they themselves had any real interest or empathy for magical creatures, they would always come to the viewpoint that he was just too strange or over-zealous. But perhaps this woman was truly different. After all, she had successfully helped the unicorn foal, and she hadn't reacted badly to Dougal, as he knew many people would. Even so, he didn't want to take the chance of rambling on and driving her away. For the first time in a long time, Newt wanted someone's company – _her_ company. He wanted to get to know her more, and hopefully put off the inevitable moment when he would drive her away for as long as possible.

For Tina, she was equally sure that she had just met a very extraordinary man. And she was sure that just one wrong word, move, or step could send him running for the hills. After all, she was what her sister candidly called 'socially awkward.' The naturally-introverted auror would never dispute this, and had always accepted this about herself. This had meant having very few friends at school, and even less romantic experience in her life. Other aurors really weren't her type, and on the few dates that she'd gone on (most set up by her well-meaning sister), the man had either become intimidated upon learning her profession or uncomfortable when they realized just how awkward she really was. But perhaps this man was truly different. After all, he certainly wasn't an auror (she'd have at least met him by now if he was), and he seemed to have his own brand of social awkwardness (which she found extremely charming). Even so, she didn't want to chance scaring him away for any reason. For the first time in a long time, Tina wanted someone's company – _his_ company. She wanted to get to know him more, and hopefully put off the moment when she would drive him away for as long as possible.

So, these two awkward and adorable humans walked in silence out of the woods. Neither dared glance at the other while they walked for fear of being caught, but neither could deny in their hearts how nice it felt to walk arm-in-arm in companionable silence together.

* * *

Once the two of them were no longer covered by the canopy of tree branches, they could see the festival, even though it was fully night now. Colored lanterns floated above the tents, stands and pavilions. The sounds were a mixture of children's laughter, adults chattering, and the jazz band playing a mellow tune.

Tina couldn't help but let out an awed sigh. "It's so beautiful…"

"Yes," Newt agreed softly, his eyes on Tina's profile. He made sure that his head was facing the festival before she could notice, though. "Have you never come to the Ministry's summer festival before?"

"No," said Tina. "I only moved to England two-and-a-half months ago."

"Ah, that explains your accent," said Newt. "American?"

"New York City," she replied. Tina then smirked and emphasized her state's vocal twang when she added: "I ain't the one with the accent, mistuh."

Newt laughed softly, his mind in awe. When was the last time a person, not a creature, had made him genuinely laugh?

When they had come back to the path where so many vendors had set up, they paused. Newt, terrified of her answer, asked, "Umm…is there anybody that I can help you find? That you…came with?"

"Oh, no, I'm alone," Tina answered, not with embarrassment but with reassurance. "And…you?"

"No, no, I'm quite alone," replied Newt hurriedly, inwardly ecstatic that he would not have to pass this lovely woman off to some handsome stud. His courage rising, Newt took the plunge: "Well, Tina, since you've never attended this festival before…may I be your escort?"

Tina smiled, adoring how his shy question had grown quieter with each word, and how he gazed at her face through his messy bangs. She adjusted her hand in the crook of his arm and replied, "I'd like that very much. Lead the way, Newt."

Feeling like his feet might lift off the ground without any type of magical assistance, Newt grinned down at Pickett, who had been completely hidden in his pocket all this time. He had been severely warned by Newt to stay hidden this evening, as he always was when Newt would be in a crowded place. But ever since Dougal had brought this mysterious woman to Newt, Pickett could not resist taking a peep every once and a while. Now, with the gaze and little nod from Newt, Pickett raised his head and arms out of Newt's breast-pocket.

Tina, who had already had plenty of surprises this evening, took this one in her stride and merely smiled at the odd stick-figure in the breast-pocket of Newt's teal coat. "Hello, there," she said, waving. Pickett waved back and gave a happy chirp.

"This is Pickett, one of my bowtruckles," said Newt, thrilled with Tina's reaction. "If you could kindly keep his presence to yourself, in case you spot him? Some children think that he's a toy that I carry around." Newt's mind had gone back to a book-signing where several children had spotted Pickett and the bowtruckle had wanted to show off for them.

"Mum's the word," said Tina, winking at the bowtruckle, who blushed and hid himself in the pocket again.

With that, Newt led them onto the path. From there, though, he let Tina take the lead in terms of what stalls she wanted to stop and look at. Tina couldn't help but notice that Newt kept his head down to the point of hiding it from passers-by. Vaguely, Tina wondered if there was somebody here that Newt did _not_ want to run into.

One particular stall was an elderly witch selling shawls and wraps that she weaved and embroidered herself. One particular shawl embroidered with different shades of pink roses caught Tina's eye. _Queenie would absolutely love this._

"How much is this lovely one?" she asked the witch, fingering the silken fabric.

"A sickle and fifteen knuts, love," said the kind witch. "I'll let you have two for two sickles, though. Bargain price."

Tina bit her lip and let her eyes wander over the many draped shawls and wraps lined up along the table in front of the witch. She was a little overwhelmed; they were all _so_ beautiful! Queenie didn't exaggerate when she said that anything clothes-related gave Tina a headache. Thankfully, her eyes soon find a shawl that is embroidered with all types of purple blossoms: violets, pansies, irises, and of course, lilacs. Smiling, she pointed to it and said, "Then I'll take that one, as well."

"Excellent, my dear," said the witch, bringing it down from its display with her wand. "It'll go perfectly with your dress. Want me to wrap up the other one for you?"

"That would be great, thanks." Tina pulled out two silver sickles from a pocket of her dress and handed them over once the witch had finished doing that task.

"Have a lovely evening," said the kind witch, handing over both the wrapped shawl for Queenie and the purple-blossomed shawl for herself.

Tina smiled and draped the latter loosely around herself, so that it rested in the crooks of her arms. It really did go perfectly with her dress. She knew that Queenie would approve, and that her sister would love the pink-roses one that Tina had gotten for her.

Remembering her companion, Tina turned to Newt. To her surprise, he had his back to her and seemed to be crouching down in front of a small boy. Looking over Newt's shoulder, she saw that Newt seemed to be signing his name on the inside cover of a book that the little boy held out to him. When he was finished, the little boy said "Thank you, Mr. Scamander," and hurried away to join his family waiting nearby.

Tina's eyes widened. _Scamander…_ Her mind quickly put some pieces together as Newt stood up and turned around to face her. He looked quite embarrassed that Tina had witnessed this. "So sorry," he mumbled, holding out his arm to her again.

As they resumed a slow walk along the path again, Tina said, "That book that's always in display at Flourish and Blott's, about magical creatures…you're the author, aren't you?"

Newt's face became crimson as he looked down at his shoes, but then he seemed to gather himself and look back up at her. "Yes, I am." There was a drop of pride in his quiet voice.

"Well, that certainly explains a lot," said Tina. "My congratulations. It seems to be very popular."

Newt shrugged. "Nobody expected it to be so well-received, least of all myself. My publisher is understandably thrilled at the profits it's bringing in, and we're in talks for a possible second edition. That would mean I would get to travel again, so I would be happy for that."

"Well, I'll definitely have to read your book now," said Tina. "After meeting you and what happened in the woods. It's been on my list, but I'm a bookworm and that list is long. I wish I'd read it sooner, if only so that I'd be able to recognize Dougal or Pickett for what they are."

"You were marvelous with both of them, and most marvelous of all with the unicorn and her foal," said Newt, immediately blushing and averting his gaze after blurting that out.

"Thank you," said Tina, shyly squeezing his arm. Newt shyly smiled at her in return, and they both continued along the path.


	7. The Festival, Part 2

Leta was enjoying herself more than she thought that she would. All her life, she had been looked at as "the bastard Lestrange girl" – the two adjectives just as bad as the other – and, even now, people would regard her with suspicion, even fear, even if they were far too polite or smart to actually say anything to her face.

But this evening, she hadn't seen a lot of those glances. The majority of the people who came just seemed happy to be there; the summer festival was looked forward to as much as Christmas for many people. Theseus had reassured her of this before the guests arrived, and he'd been right.

Theseus by her side made her feel much better, safer, more comfortable in her own skin. It wasn't the fact that he was an auror; it was that he truly loved her. And she loved him right back.

The couple walked among the stalls of sweets and refreshments. Because he knew her only too well, Theseus led her to a stall set up by the owners of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "Vanilla and caramel for you, mint chocolate for me?"

"Sounds perfect," said Leta.

As Theseus made the order, Leta casually turned her head to the left. What she managed to see just down the path made her eyes nearly pop out.

At a stall selling color-changing candy floss, Leta saw Newt. It wasn't so much the fact that he was actually showing his face at the festival as opposed to hiding in the hippogriff stalls – Newt wasn't alone. Standing beside him was a woman that it took Leta a moment to place. Then she remembered: the new auror from America that had joined Theseus's team a few months ago, what was her name…Tina?

From the corner of her eye, Leta watched Newt purchase two generous sticks of candy floss, hand one to Tina, and then offer her his arm before walking away from the stand. Thankfully, they had turned in the opposite direction from her and Theseus.

Once Theseus had completed her purchase, Leta purposefully led him in the opposite direction down the path. "Now, let's find a good spot to watch the fireworks."

Theseus, oblivious to any ulterior motive, nodded and handed Leta her ice cream.

As they walked, Leta resolved to keep what she saw to herself tonight. If she told Theseus, then he would want to find Newt and Tina for himself. If that happened, Leta knew that Newt would clam up, as he always seemed to do with the both of them now. And she didn't want to watch him do that tonight, especially if he had managed to find human company that he actually enjoyed.

In her subconscious mind and her innermost heart, seeing Newt like that with someone else, Leta couldn't help but mourn a little. Once, she had been the only person who could bring him out of his shell like that. Now, ever since they had come back into each other's lives, she could see Newt putting new walls between them where there had once been none.

And Leta knew that she had nobody to blame but herself.

* * *

"Attention, everybody! The Fireworks Show provided by the Drs. Filibuster will begin in fifteen minutes! Be sure to find a good spot before they start!"

Both Newt and Tina had stopped in their steps at the announcement – obviously made by a sound enhancement charm on the throat – and both recognized the voice of Theseus Scamander making the announcement.

Newt immediately turned to Tina and said, "I know the perfect spot. If you hold on to my arm, I'll apparate us there." He paused momentarily. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

Tina raised an eyebrow. "Not really…we're not apparating up into a tree, are we?"

Newt huffed a laugh. "No, not a tree. But there _is_ a bit of climbing involved. Is that alright?"

Now both of her eyebrows went up, but then she set her expression in determination. "Sure. I can handle that."

The corners of Newt's mouth turned upwards and he nodded. "Hold on."

Tina tightened her grip on Newt's arm, and in the next moment, they had disapparated.

When Tina opened her eyes again, she saw that the two of them were in a bedroom of what had to be the grand house of the estate. By the looks of the bedspread and the pictures tacked on the wall, this was a child's room. Not where she expected to land at all.

Newt walked to the bed and placed his suitcase at the foot of it and turned to Tina. "It might be best if you leave your parcel here. I promise it will be quite safe here."

Tina nodded and placed her parcel beside his suitcase. "Is this…um…your bedroom?" _Morrigan,_ why _do I have to blush like a tomato?_

Thankfully, Newt did too as he answered. "Uh, it was, when I was a child. I grew up here, and I live in London now."

Tina nodded. Knowing his last name and the name of this estate, it made perfect sense…did this make him Theseus's brother, then? Her boss had never mentioned a brother, but she only knew her boss at work where all they talked about was work.

Newt then broke off her wonderings by surprising her further: he walked to the window, opened it – and then _climbing out_. Agile as a monkey, Newt turned once out the window and seemed to grab onto the right side of the house. Looking back into the room at Tina, he said, "There's a strong trellis of ivy to grab onto, and the roof is right above us. Just follow me."

Knowing that she had already said she could handle some climbing (and pretty grateful that it wasn't, in fact, a tree) Tina walked to the window and carefully eased herself out and over. The trellis of ivy was actually very strong, like a secure ladder, and only after two steps up did she find herself being pulled onto the roof by Newt.

Sitting on the edge of the slanted roof, clutching onto his arm that he held out to her, she watched Newt cast a silent charm towards the large chimney stack coming out at the peak of the roof. From the tip of his wand came a rope that stretched out and wrapped itself securely around the chimney stack.

With a little flick, the rope came loose from the wand's tip, and Tina instinctively grabbed it. Newt again gave her a little, appreciative smile as he put away his wand. After taking hold of the rope himself, the two of them used it to walk up the slanted roof towards the large chimney stack. Once they reached its base at the top of the roof, Tina saw that the base of the large chimney was about three feet of flat stone all around that could easily be walked on or sat on. Newt guided her to sit on the side of the chimney that faced the part of the grounds where the festival was spread out.

"Oh, Morrigan…" Tina breathed, taking in the beautiful sight below. All of the families gathered together, seating on blankets on the grass, on benches or picnic tables, ready for the fireworks, in the light of the colored lanterns, with the moon and stars above…she was overwhelmed. "I never thought that I would see something like this…"

Newt was looking at her, again transfixed, but what she said made him curious. "See what? You don't have something like this in America?"

"Not in New York City," said Tina. "I know that they have regional festivals in other parts of America, in the more rural states, but not in my city. It would be too risky…"

She paused, biting her lip and then turning her head to look at him. She noticed that Pickett was poking his head and arms out comfortably now that the two of them were away from the crowd.

"What do you know about the wizarding community in America?" she asked.

"Um, one or two things, and correct me if I'm wrong," said Newt. "From what you've told me, the rules of secrecy and concealment must be stricter than they are here, which is saying something."

Tina nodded. "Especially in cities. With such large concentrations of people, New York City being the biggest one, we can't afford any slip to be made. To make matters more complicated, there are no-maj – muggle, excuse me – factions and groups who not only believe in magic, but would like nothing more than to get rid of all people with magical abilities."

Tina's expression had darkened as she spoke, and Newt could only nod in sympathy.

Eventually, she calmed her expression and asked him, "Anything else?"

"Um…well, I believe that America has some rather backwards laws about relations between magical and non-magical people. Is it true that American magical law forbids marriage between them, or even any kind of relationship between them?"

Again, Tina's expression hardened. She looked at her hands in her lap, fingering the fringe of her new shawl, and she nodded.

Terrified that he had unintentionally insulted her by calling an American law backwards, he began to speak: "I'm sor –"

"Don't," she interrupted, not looking up. "Don't apologize, please. You're right: those laws _are_ backwards. I'm just ashamed that I didn't realize that until last year." She took a breath and then met Newt's gaze again. "My younger sister, Queenie, fell in love with a man named Jacob. He's a baker – and a muggle."

"Ah," Newt breathed in comprehension.

"I was furious at first," said Tina, looking back down at her hands. "Not so much because I thought the law was right, but because it could mean my sister could have her wand snapped in half, or worse – arrested. We had a terrible fight about it, and it ended with her leaving our apartment."

"You lived together?" asked Newt, in a soft tone so as not to stop her story.

"All our lives. Our parents died when we were kids, and it's been the two of us, looking out for each other, ever since."

His heart ached for her. "I'm so sorry…no wonder you were so frightened for her."

Tina looked back up at Newt, relieved that he seemed to understand rather than judge her. "Yes, I _was_ frightened, much more frightened than really angry. I didn't sleep at all that night, going over and over in my mind what could be done, what should be done, what was right and what was wrong…I had made my choice by the time the sun rose. The next morning, I tracked down my sister; she had stayed with Jacob. We talked for a long time, formed a plan, and the plan worked: we got to England, have settled in London, and they are very happily married."

Now that she had finished the story (she'd kept it short in fear of rambling on or getting too emotional), she tried to decipher the expression on Newt's face. It was hard in the low light, and all she felt confident in believing was that he had listened and had no bad judgement of her.

That was all that she had time to deduce, though, because at that moment, the sound of Theseus's voice magically resonated and announced the start of the fireworks show.

* * *

It was a fact that magical people simply couldn't resist showing off when a large group of them came together. This was natural enough, since the vast majority spent their day-to-day lives in some form of hiding. Tina was truly coming to understand this concept tonight, and the fireworks show was just the cherry on top of that.

Tina had only glimpsed non-magical fireworks on the fourth of July a few times. The magical fireworks that she was witnessing now…Tina didn't want to even _blink_ for fear of missing one moment!

Newt was just as enraptured by the fireworks. He hadn't seen a magical fireworks display since the last time his family had hosted the summer festival. Then, it had been Theseus who had watched with him from this secret spot on the roof. And now, it was Tina… _Tina…_

When it was over, Newt and Tina had clapped as enthusiastically as the crowd below them. Tina was the first to speak. "That was absolutely amazing! Thank you for bringing me up here to see it."

Newt nodded. "It was my pleasure, truly."

He then held out his arm for her to take, and once she did, they disapparated.

* * *

When they had apparated, the first thing that they noticed was that they were still seated. The second thing that they noticed was that they had apparated back into Newt's childhood bedroom – and were sitting on his childhood bed.

The two red-faced magical adults stood up as quickly as if they had landed on a bed of hot coals. While Newt looked like he wanted to crawl under his bed, Tina looked as if she were trying _very_ hard not to giggle hysterically.

"The, the festival, back to, right," Newt managed to stutter. "My case will be good on the bed, I mean safe in the room, for now."

Tina wordlessly (because she was still fighting back giggles) picked up her wrapped parcel for Queenie and took his arm before they again disapparated.

* * *

Newt apparated the two of them back to the spot by the woods where they had met, most likely because they were far less likely to land on top of anybody there. Arm-in-arm (this felt natural for the two of them now), they walked back towards the festival tents and pavilions. As they got closer, Tina saw that people were beginning to leave. While some adult couples apparated, families with children made their way to the gates of the property where they had all entered, most likely to grab a portkey.

But before Tina could comment about this, she felt herself being unceremoniously tugged sideways, and soon Newt was leading her along the backs of the various vendor tents. "Newt, what are you doing?" she asked, more than a little confused and just a bit peeved.

"So sorry, I saw someone up ahead I didn't want to subject you to unprepared."

Tina raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, considering where we are: a family member?"

Newt nodded. "My brother, Theseus."

 _So, brothers after all,_ thought Tina. She decided to tell Newt how she already knew his brother, but couldn't resist teasing him first: "And what's so terrible about him?"

Newt's reply came as he led her through two vendor tents and onto the path a safe distance from most of the people. "He's an auror – and a hugger."

"And…both of those things are…bad things?" It took a real effort to keep her tone of voice casual.

"In my experience," replied Newt. "The hugging always depends on the person and situation, which have been mercifully few for me. Aurors, in my opinion and experience, are mostly careerist hypocrites, and I can't respect people whose answer to everything that they fear or misunderstand is to kill it."

As Tina felt every cell in her body turn cold, she knew that the other shoe had dropped. This wonderful dream was over; his words were the equivalent of being shoved out of a warm bed.

And, as an auror, Tina knew that the best thing to do in a situation like this was to make a quick and inconspicuous exit.

"Um, Newt, what's the time?" she asked, feeling herself slip into 'auror mode' just to keep her inner turmoil completely internal.

Newt, thankfully, seemed blissfully oblivious to any of the turmoil in his companion. He pulled out a pocket-watch from the pocket of his mustard-colored vest. Opening it and looking, Newt said, "About a quarter to eleven o'clock."

"Ah," said Tina, stopping in her tracks and letting go of his arm. "Then I should be going."

Newt stopped and turned to her. His expression went from peacefully content to surprised and just a little devastated. "O-oh?"

Her heart twisting, Tina hugged Queenie's parcel to her chest for strength. "Yeah. You see, my sister came down with a bad cold today, and I promised Jacob that I wouldn't stay too late at the festival so that I could help him out, you know?" Never had she been so grateful that she didn't have to come up with a lie.

"Of course, of course," Newt replied, trying to school his expression to one of understanding rather than sadness. "My mother came down with one a few days ago, I understand."

She sighed with relief. Before she could say goodbye and disapparate, he spoke again.

"Are you…you're coming to the rest of the festival, right? I'll see you again?"

Her heart sank into her stomach at how hopeful he looked, the tiniest drop of pleading in his tone. This man genuinely wanted to see her again. Or, rather, he wanted to see the woman that he thought she was – the woman who was not an auror.

She averted her gaze and evaded his answer. "Um, I can't promise anything, really depends on how my sister is feeling and…other things…"

Tina felt her voice breaking and her expression wavering as her non-committal answer made the hope in Newt's face begin to drain. _Morrigan, why did he have to say that? Why does he have to believe a person like me is so horrible?_

With her last chunk of strength, she straightened her stance and said with sincerity, "It was really nice to meet you, Newt. And these lovely creatures, too."

Not two seconds later, she had disapparated and Newt was alone.


	8. Two AM

Tina wasn't surprised that sleep was being evasive on this night. Squinting through the darkness at the alarm clock on her night-table, she sighed. Two o'clock in the morning. Wonderful.

When Tina had apparated into her bedroom nearly three hours ago, she remembered her sister and quickly tiptoed to the Kowalskis' bedroom. Peeking into the room, she was relieved to see the couple sleeping peacefully in the bed. If Queenie's condition had worsened, then Jacob would have stayed in the chair beside the bed.

Once she had returned to her own bedroom, though, Tina's relief mixed with dread that now she would have to be completely alone with her thoughts and memories of the night. She had removed her clothing and put each article away with care; the ensemble that Queenie had put together truly was beautiful, and Tina looked forward to another occasion that she could wear it. Hopefully when she could look at those clothes and not remember…

Groaning softly, Tina sat up in bed and rested her face in her hands. All that she could think about was _him_. Newt Scamander…a man unlike any that she'd ever met…a man who had looked in a way no other man had ever really looked at her…a man who made her feel things that she'd never felt before…

…And a man who hated an important part of who she was.

' _Careerist hypocrites'… 'Answer to all they fear or misunderstand is killing'…_

Even knowing that Newt hadn't meant to insult her personally when he'd said those words didn't help at all. If what he said was how he truly felt about aurors, then what else was there to say? Where could any friendship, or…relationship…go with this man?

Tina's work was something that she took great pride in, had worked so hard for, and wouldn't change for all the world. It was never something that she would be ashamed of; shame wasn't what she felt when she'd heard and remembered Newt's words. What she felt was anger at his opinion and sadness that it would prevent anything from coming out of the truly wonderful evening with him that she'd had.

She would speak with Queenie tomorrow. Not only would Queenie want all of the details of her evening, but she knew that she needed to talk about what had happen and get the perspective of the person that she loved and trusted the most. Was she being defeatist? Should she have stayed and confronted Newt with the knowledge that she was part of that group that he seemed to hate?

What in Morrigan's name would she do tomorrow if she saw him again?

Sighing, Tina laid back down on the bed. Pulling the sheets up to her chin, she closed her eyes and forced her breathing to become deep and even. In her mind, she went to the place that she always went to in order to calm herself, to feel at peace, and eventually fall into sleep:

Memories played in her mind of dancing in a ballet…of beautiful music…of the one time in her life when she felt truly beautiful…

* * *

He had done something wrong. This was the only conclusion that Newt kept coming back to as he tossed and turned in his childhood bed that night.

 _You may very well be wrong,_ the logical part of his mind kept telling him. _People were beginning to leave; you saw that with your own eyes. And she told you that her sister was sick and why she wanted to get home; someone like her wouldn't tell a lie like that._

Even with this logical reasoning, he couldn't forget how she had evaded his gaze when she made a non-commital answer as to whether she would be attending the rest of the festival…the finality in the way she had said goodbye before disapparating…No, he had done something, said something, he felt it in his heart. He had trusted his instincts for years, and they'd never failed him – the fact that he was still alive with scars rather than dead in some isolated part of the world was proof enough of that.

But _what?_ _What_ had happened? The evening had been going so well, it had all been so… _wonderful_. Newt couldn't remember ever feeling so at ease in the presence of another before. Even with Leta, when they were at school, there had been the smallest part of himself that had held back, remained alert (further proof that his instincts never failed him). What was it about Tina ( _Tina…what a lovely name…is it short for anything, I wonder? I hope that I have the chance to find out_ ) that made Newt feel…this?

Was it how she had been with the creatures – the unicorns, Dougal, and Pickett? That had certainly been a big part of it. But though he could say that he was the most knowledgeable man alive today about magical creatures, he was not the only person who cared about magical creatures. That number had only grown since his book came out. Was it her compassionate nature that he saw so clearly with the unicorns? Definitely another big part of it. The fact that she really seemed to enjoy, or at least not mind, his company? All of this played into it.

 _Not to mention that she is lovely and has eyes just like a salamander,_ his mind teased.

Groaning, Newt sat up in bed. He needed a task to do. Something he could focus on until he felt tired enough to fall asleep. If he were at home in London, he would just go down into his vast basement menagerie. He looked at his suitcase nearby, but then shook his head. He had only brought Pickett, Dougal, and the newest hatching of baby occamies that he'd rescued from a smuggler in his case, and they were all settled in for the night.

After rubbing his eyes, his gaze landed on the desk opposite his bed. He got up and walked to it, noticing that his mother must have recently dusted it. Idly, he opened the top drawer, and he smiled when he saw what was inside. He pulled out his old sketchbook, along with a few charcoal pencils that were also in the drawer. He returned to his bed and lit the candle on the bedside table.

Newt smiled to himself as he flipped through the pages. Most of the pictures were hippogriffs, along with the occasional horkclump, bowtruckle, and garden gnome. He was glad that there were still quite a few blank pages. Picking up a charcoal pencil, Newt began to draw…

…He fell asleep an hour later, his sketchbook open in his lap. He had drawn a unicorn, her foal…and a salamander.


	9. Morning Conversations

Tina woke the next morning to the mouth-watering smell of breakfast. When she'd rubbed the sleep from her eyes, Tina saw that it was about half-past eight in the morning. She was glad that she'd been able to get in a healthy chunk of sleep. She got out of bed and slipped on her robe and slippers.

After doing her morning rituals in the washroom, Tina was pulled to the kitchen by that lovely smell. She found Jacob at the stove, frying bacon and scrambling eggs. Hearing her enter, he turned his head and smiled. "Good morning, sis!"

Tina smiled at Jacob's greeting and nickname for her; she'd always liked it. "Good morning, brother," she replied. "I hope there's enough there for me."

"Absolutely," said Jacob. "Sit down and I'll fix you a plate once I'm done with Queenie's."

As she sat down at the kitchen table, Tina said, "So, Queenie has a good appetite? She must be on the mend."

"Oh, yeah," said Jacob, grinning. "That Pepper-Up Potion and a good night's sleep did her all the good in the world. There's no fever, and she's only coughing a bit. I'm gonna try and see that she takes it easy today, though."

Tina nodded. "Well, tell her I'll come in to see her after I've finished eating. I know she'll be eager to talk to me."

"Oh, that's right, the festival!" Jacob exclaimed, smiling. "How was it?"

Tina chose her words carefully and kept her expression and voice as neutral as possible. "It was…surprising and eventful."

Jacob was a very perceptive man, almost the non-magical equivalent of Queenie sometimes. Somehow, he sensed in her vague answer that she wanted to talk about the evening with her sister before anybody else. So, he nodded and patted her shoulder kindly before leaving the kitchen with his wife's breakfast.

* * *

Theseus and Leta woke up happy and refreshed that morning. They were _very_ tempted to spend a lazy morning in bed, but the midsummer festival lasted for three nights, not one. So, they went down to the kitchen to have breakfast.

When they entered the room, both saw Newt sitting at the kitchen table. His head was resting on one hand, and he was dejectedly watching porridge slip down his spoon and back into the bowl.

The couple paused before the table, looking at Newt with concern. He hadn't noticed them enter, clearly deep in his own thoughts. Theseus and Leta exchanged a puzzled look before Leta silently motioned for Theseus to talk to him. As she walked to the pantry, Theseus approached Newt and ruffled his hair. Newt's response was to jump in his seat from surprise.

"Wake up, Newt!" he said, his tone bemused but just a touch concerned. "Did you really have such a terrible time last night? You look like you've encountered the Bloody Baron."

Newt, surprisingly, only gave a hollow chuckle in response as he looked back down at his porridge. "Not that particular ghost, no, but perhaps another," he mumbled, more to himself than to Theseus. "After all, one minute she was there and the next…gone."

It was the word ' _she_ ' that got Theseus's full attention. His eyebrows rose and he looked at Leta. To his further surprise, she had a little smile on her face. "I thought I caught sight of Newt buying a pretty woman some candy floss last night."

Now a grin burst onto Theseus's face as he looked at his brother again. Newt still seemed lost in his memories, focused on his uneaten breakfast. "I am positively agog!" Theseus teased gleefully. "Could it be that a woman has finally caught my brother's eye?" He turned to Leta. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't have been able to resist approaching them and teasing Newt until he tried to crawl under a rock," Leta replied candidly, toasting some bread as the tea brewed.

"And you would have scared her away," added Newt, still looking at his porridge.

Leta chuckled as she joined them at the kitchen table. "I highly doubt that, Newt. Let me guess: she was tall, dark-haired, rather –"

"Beautiful," Newt sighed.

Theseus and Leta looked at each other in shock and glee. "And American?" asked Leta.

Newt nodded, and then his head snapped up, fully in reality now. "You…you know her, Leta?"

"I only met her last night when she arrived," said Leta, turning her gaze on Theseus. "It's Tina, Theseus. Tina Goldstein."

Newt's first thought was: _Goldstein. So that's her last name…Tina Goldstein…lovely_ … Then, he turned his gaze to Theseus in confusion.

"No kidding!" exclaimed Theseus, and he smiled at Newt. "I'm glad that you two found each other, Newt. She's a good woman, and a first-class witch."

"W-wait!" interrupted Newt, looking incredulously at his brother. "How do _you_ know Tina?"

Theseus blinked in confusion. "She's an auror on my team. Has been since she moved here a few months ago. Did she not tell you?"

Newt blinked and sat back in his chair. "Tina's an auror…no, that can't be." He began shaking his head vigorously as he lowered his gaze. "We must not be talking about the same woman."

"Why not?" asked Theseus, his confusion deepening. He couldn't imagine Tina being the kind of woman who would lie about her profession.

"I'm sure it's the same woman, Newt," said Leta, starting to get a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Again, Newt shook his head. "No, it can't be! Tina's not like that. She's not…"

At that moment, Newt seemed to remember just who he was talking to. His heart pounding, he looked up and saw his brother's gaze go from confused to contained anger. "Not what, Newt?" his older brother said, in a soft and dangerous voice.

Newt's mouth opened and closed like a fish, knowing what words he would have said had his brother not been there…the same words that he had spoken to Tina the previous evening…right before she left… _Oh, Merlin's beard!_

He finally had an answer to the question that had been haunting him since she had disapparated away.

"I…I made her go away…last night…" The words slipped out naturally, and Newt didn't try to stop them. He looked down into his now-congealing porridge as he confessed to Theseus and Leta. "She never mentioned what her job was to me; in all fairness, I never asked her. After the fireworks, I spotted the two of you and…veered her away so that she wouldn't have to meet you."

He felt sicker with himself with each word, and he could feel Theseus's eyes on his profile and the anger in his gaze.

"When she asked why, I said because you were an auror and a hugger. When she asked if those were bad things, I said yes…that I thought aurors were a bunch of…" He cleared his throat; his entire neck felt like it was on fire as he forced the conclusion out. "…a bunch of careerist hypocrites who…would kill anything they fear or don't understand."

His words were barely audible now, but he knew that his audience caught every word. A few unbearable moments of silence followed. Then, the abrupt sound of a chair being shoved back jerked Newt's head back up.

Theseus was now standing, glaring down at his little brother. Though there was anger in his gaze, there was also deep hurt. His jaw was clenched, his mouth shut tight, and his hands were clenched into fists.

Then, without a word, he turned and stormed out of the kitchen, the door slamming behind him.

Newt then turned his gaze to Leta. She was composed, her eyes shut, her lips folded tight. Then she stood up and walked to the door. After she opened it, she paused and then turned to look at Newt with deep disappointment:

"Those blinkered people that you would always talk about…I never pegged you as one of them."

With that, she left a very shameful magizoologist alone in the kitchen with a bowl of now-uneatable porridge and burnt toast.

* * *

Tina took the time to dress in her usual clothing for a day off: a simple blouse and a comfy pair of trousers. She went into Queenie and Jacob's bedroom with the wrapped parcel in her arms and her Occlumency shields up.

Queenie was sitting up in bed, propped up by pillows and looking ten times better than she had the other day. When she met Tina's eyes, she pouted. "No fair, Teenie! I want to know everything that happened!"

"And you _will_ know everything that happened," said Tina calmly, sitting down in the chair beside the bed after handing her sister the parcel. "But open your gift first."

Placated for now, Queenie unwrapped the parcel and gave a delighted squeal when she saw the beautiful rose-patterned shawl. "Oh, Teenie, it's gorgeous!" She unfolded it, held it out in front of her, and then wrapped it around her shoulders. "It's perfect!"

Tina chuckled. "I thought you'd like it."

Queenie smiled at her, and then sharpened her gaze. "Now, let me see what happened!"

Tina shook her head gently. "No, I'm going to tell you. I won't hold anything back, I promise, but I…I need to talk about it, ok?"

Sensing the plea in her sister's tone, Queenie's smile relaxed into a look of reassurance. "Then take your time. I'm listening."

Tina squeezed her hand, took a deep breath, and she told the story of the festival. Queenie stayed true to her word and listened, but her reactions interrupted the tale more than once. Tina couldn't blame her for that; after all, the story involved meeting Dougal the demiguise, healing the unicorn foal, connecting with a complete stranger, and watching magical fireworks from a rooftop. Only as she told the tale aloud did Tina truly realize just how much what happened sounded like a dream, or straight out of a storybook.

When she came to the final part of her tale, Tina's eyes remained on her hands folded in her lap. She also let her occlumency walls fall as she finished the story, needing her sister to see why she had needed to talk about this. After all, Queenie was much smarter about people than she was.

A few moments of silence followed after Tina had finished. Then, Queenie's hand came into her vision when it stilled her own wringing hands in her lap. Tina looked up and met her sister's compassionate gaze.

"You didn't do the wrong thing, Teenie," reassured Queenie.

Tina sighed with relief. "It's like when I'm on a job and faced with a sticky situation. You have to weigh in every factor and make the choice: withdraw and regroup or reveal and confront. Perhaps if we'd been alone…no, I was so shocked and felt like I lost my footing…If I'd confronted him I'd have said something that I might have regretted."

Queenie smiled. "Those instincts are what make you so good at your job."

Tina snorted. "A job that he apparently hates…" She collapsed back in her chair and ran her hands over her face as she groaned. "Oh, Queenie, it was like a sucker punch to the gut!"

Queenie's heart twisted for her sister. The entire story that she'd heard had been extraordinary, but this last part did feel like a bad dessert after a delicious meal.

"You know the worst part?" Tina asked, leaning her head back so she stared at the ceiling. "He's a good man, with a big heart. This would be so much easier, so cut-and-dry, if he was a jerk. I'd brush him off without another thought. But Newt…he's a lot more, and a lot of it is good. And a part of me really wants to see him again…is that crazy?"

"No, Teenie!" said Queenie. "It's natural. It sounds like you two really connected."

"Well, we won't once he learns how I make my living," muttered Tina sourly.

"You know what I think about that?" asked Queenie.

Tina tilted her head so that she could look at her sister.

"From the way you've described him, this Newt sounds like a man who's had more luck with creatures than humans. Maybe he's been really hurt in the past."

"By an auror?"

"Either that, or what he's seen of aurors in his lifetime has been the worst side."

Tina huffed out an angry breath. "Believe me, I know that there are some real jerks on the job, both in New York and here, so that wouldn't surprise me, but…Queenie, he's Theseus's younger brother. And Theseus isn't perfect but he's a good man _and_ a good auror."

Queenie shook her head. "That _is_ confusing…but I think there's only one thing you can do about that."

"What?"

"Ask him yourself."

Tina sat up, biting her lip as apprehension filled her face.

Queenie immediately felt where her thoughts were going. "Teenie, answer me straight: is how Newt described the job you do, the job Daddy did until he died, what you truly do?"

"No, of course not!" Tina answered immediately and adamantly.

" _That's_ what you need to tell him. He wants to see you tonight, so let him find you when you get there; don't hide from him. Then, tell him exactly what it is you do and how proud you are of it, as you should be. Tell him that his narrow and hurtful opinion, no matter where it comes from, is _wrong_. And if he doesn't believe you, or can't accept that, would it be hard to walk away from him?"

Tina shook her head. No, it wouldn't be. Bottom line: she could never have any kind of friendly or intimate relationship with a man who had a problem with her being an auror. Even a man like Newt…but it would hurt, she couldn't deny that. If he held true to his opinion when he learned the truth about her, she knew she would walk away and settle with the memory of their evening together (minus the ending) as enough.

The auror was pulled from her sad musings when Queenie took her hands again.

"Don't lose hope, Teenie. If this Newt is as good a man as he seemed to you, then he'll listen and come around."

Tina really, _really_ hoped that her little sister was right.


	10. The Ballet

Newt Scamander had never been a man who cared about his appearance. Only in his adolescence had he given it a second-thought, and that thought hadn't been a good one. He had look at his lanky build, his untamable hair, and his numerous freckles in disgust, telling himself that a beautiful girl like Leta could never look at him as more than a friend.

Now, for the second time in his life, Newt was looking at himself in the mirror and was anything but satisfied with what he saw. His hair had never been tamable, and he'd never tried to tame it. Now, he made a weak attempt to pat it down, but that had no effect. Even though he'd just bathed so his hair was slightly damp, it seemed impossible that his hair could lie flat and tame on his head.

As for his clothes, they were nothing new or special, though he'd taken care to make sure that they were clean and ironed for once. Along with brown trousers, white shirt, and his mustard-waistcoat, Newt had chosen to wear his dark grey coat rather than the teal coat he'd worn the previous night. When he magically tied his bowtie and looked at the full ensemble in the mirror, his one thought was this:

 _You look even more ridiculous than an auguery at a children's party._

Groaning in frustration, Newt walked to the bed in his childhood bedroom and let himself fall backwards onto the mattress. An indignant Pickett, jostled by this sudden movement, climbed out of Newt's breast pocket and walked up his chest until Newt could see him scolding.

"Sorry, old friend, I'm just…" His voice drifted as he rubbed his forehead, staring at the ceiling. What exactly was he right now?

Physically, he was tired and a little sore. He'd spent the entire day (hiding) in the hippogriff stables. He'd done everything from feeding them to mucking out every last stall. By the time he'd finished, he doubted that the stalls had ever been so spotless.

He knew why he'd spent most of the day shoveling 'griff manure: penance, pure and simple. With each stroke of the shovel, Leta's parting words in the kitchen echoed in his mind, and he couldn't deny how right she was. He _had_ become blinkered; not about creatures, but about people. Last night and this morning were proof enough of that. And he had to make things right.

He sighed and finished his statement to Pickett: "…nervous. I'm just nervous."

Pickett tilted his head for a moment, and then he tried patting Newt's chin for comfort, but his sharp little hand made it feel more like a series of tiny slaps. _How appropriate,_ Newt thought.

The sound of his wall clock chiming the half-hour – 18:30 – made him jolt a little, making the bowtruckle almost fall back. Sighing and rubbing his eyes, Newt muttered, "Back into my pocket, Pickett. It's time to head downstairs for the ballet."

The bowtruckle obediently slipped into Newt's breast pocket as Newt sat up and got off the bed. He pointedly avoided one last look in the mirror, knowing that he couldn't make himself look any better.

He walked to his window, the view affording him a very good look at the outdoor stage and stands that had been set up for the ballet. In the distance, he could just see the gates of the estate, and the first round of guests arriving.

 _Would she come?_

That was the big question. If her sister was feeling better…and if she didn't completely hate him…as Theseus seemed to right now. Newt hadn't had the courage to try and seek Theseus out, much preferring the stink of hippogriff dung. Knowing how busy Theseus was in hosting and seeing the festival running smoothly, Newt had thought it wiser to wait until it was all over to approach him.

As for Tina…Newt hoped against hope that she would come. If she didn't, at least he knew her full name and where to find her in the Ministry. That was small comfort right now, though, because right now, bottom line…he _really_ wanted to see her again. Simple as that.

* * *

 _Isolt of Ilvermorny_.

Tina read the name of the ballet printed in gold calligraphy on the program that she'd been handed by a ministry employee after walking through the gates of the Scamander estate. Not that she needed to; she knew this ballet very well, probably better than most of the people seeing it tonight. She highly doubted that this ballet could be as popular in England as it was back in the States.

The summer evening tonight was just as lovely as the previous one had been, the perfect weather for an outdoor ballet. Tina had come the way she had last night, and again following the path towards her destination. But this time, it was not towards an array of tents and recreations, but an outdoor theater in the round. Biting her lip in anticipation to see the stage, Tina hoped that she would be able to get a good seat.

When she had seen the dress that Queenie had made for this night, Tina had almost cried. To anybody else looking at her, they would only see a simple, sleeveless, sky-blue cocktail dress, with a cranberry-colored sash pinned around her waist. But its symbolism meant much more to Tina. These were the very same colors of the Ilvermorny school robes: blue because Isolt had dreamed of belonging to Ravenclaw house as a child, and cranberry because of her husband James's favorite dessert. The sash was pinned by a very special silver brooch: the Gordian knot brooch that had been part of her Ilvermorny uniform, and that she had saved as a keepsake. Around her neck she wore her mother's locket. Over her heart was pinned another smaller brooch, this one golden and a gift from the school when she graduated; this one was of a thunderbird, for her school house.

Filled with pride for where she had come from, and very excited to see the ballet that meant so much to her, there were moments when Tina nearly forgot that she may see Newt again tonight. The thought simultaneously thrilled her and terrified her. But she had resolved that she would not even think of seeking him out until the ballet was over and the banquet being provided afterwards began.

Upon entering the stands, Tina was thrilled to see that this was a theatre-in-the-round setup, with the stage low to the ground and ascending bleachers surrounding three-quarters of it. Thankfully, Tina was very good at getting around crowded places quickly and without jostling anybody. Soon, she had maneuvered to a good perch in one of the top bleachers, where she could clearly see the entire stage.

For a while, she read through the program, reading the names of the cast members and the little biographies and well-wishes that they had written for their families. Those made her smile; her own, years ago, had practically been a love-letter to her sister and her late parents. When she heard the orchestra begin to tune their instruments, she turned her attention to the stage itself, vaguely noticing that nearly everybody was seated by now.

As she studied the bare set-up ( _Good,_ she thought, _it should be as minimal as possible, nothing to take attention away from the dancers telling the story_ ), Tina did not hear the small commotion that was slowly coming closer to her. This commotion consisted of annoyed grunts and words from various audience members in their seats, and of a hushed and very-English voice repeating the phrases, " _So sorry_ ," and " _Pardon me_ ," and " _Excuse me_."

She didn't notice until her attention was pulled from the stage when that voice said softly and nervously, "Tina?"

Her body reacted immediately: heart pounding, cheeks flushing, palms sweating, a little harder to breathe. But she swallowed and forced her head to turn to the left. There stood Newt, looking much the same (and adorable) as he had the previous evening. The only noticeable difference to Tina's eyes was that the long coat he wore was a storm-grey rather than a rich teal. He also carried no suitcase with him; she saw that when she noticed that he was wringing his hands nervously. His head was down, and he was peeking at her apprehensively through his shaggy bangs ( _Fringe,_ she mentally corrected herself).

"M-may I sit down?" asked Newt, in that same soft and nervous voice, nodding to the empty spot beside her.

Tina felt herself nodding. Gratefully, Newt sat beside her, very careful not to touch her in any way. His gaze went to his hands, now wringing in his lap. Tina herself turned her gaze back to the stage, trying to gather her thoughts. She knew what she needed to say to him, but how to say it in the right words? Perhaps she should wait until the ballet was over…or would it be better to get this over with now –

"I'm _so_ sorry, Tina!"

His words, said in such a sincere and remorseful tone, made Tina look at him so quickly that her neck cricked a bit. Newt let more words fall out of his mouth like a waterfall, again peeking up at her through his fringe.

"I hurt you last night, I know I did, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. What I said about aurors, that's what did it. I didn't know that you were one, that you worked with my brother. He told me this morning. You've every right to tell me to piss off, I know, but I wanted to apologize, for you see…I was wrong. My opinion was wrong, I know that now. Oh, I know that there are some aurors that _are_ like that, I've come across several in my life, but it certainly isn't true for all of them. I was being narrow-minded, unfairly judgmental…just plain blinkered, Tina. And I'm so, so sorry."

Though the words came out in a rushed, hushed tone and in an accent that Tina was still acclimatizing herself to, she heard and understood every word. Once those words were done, words that Queenie had spoken that morning ran through her mind:

 _If this Newt is as good a man as he seemed to you, then he'll listen and come around._

As usual, Queenie had been right. But Newt hadn't had the chance to listen to what Tina had planned to say; he'd beaten her to it, leaving her no reason to justify herself. She was quite lost for words.

Unfortunately, Newt took her silence as a rebuttal. He lowered his head fully again and muttered, "Well…thank you for listening, Tina. I'll leave you in peace now."

But just as he was about to stand, Tina's hand reached out and covered both of his resting in his lap. His wringing fingers stilled at once, and he seemed to hold his breath at the contact. Tilting her head a bit, Tina said softly but firmly: "Look at me, Newt."

She needed to see his eyes, to get that final reassurance. He obediently raised his head and met her gaze. There was a moment of silence, as Tina looked into his eyes and Newt hoped that she could see what she needed to see. Finally, Tina smiled a small but lovely smile, and she squeezed his fingers. "Thank you, Newt."

Newt let out the breath he had been holding, and the corners of his mouth turned upwards. His fingers involuntarily reached after her hand when she withdrew it.

"Now, as for leaving me in peace, I'd much prefer if you'd keep me company," said Tina. "Would that be alright with you?"

Newt's mouth bloomed into a full, relieved smile. "Oh, yes…there's no one else I'd rather have the company of."

Their eyes locked again as both of their cheeks colored at his bold but honest statement. It was only when the orchestra began the overture that their gazes broke and both looked towards the stage in anticipation, their hearts pounding in the best way.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Anybody who isn't familiar with the story of Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny School in America, please check it out. I like to imagine that she serves as a role model and inspiration for many American witches, including Tina and Queenie._


	11. The Banquet

Newt, now with two full plates in his hands, quickly but gracefully stepped out of the way for the next person in line. Just as carefully but quickly, Newt made his way past the lines of people waiting for food and others who were finding a place to eat.

Newt and Tina had followed the crowd out of the stands after the ballet was over. Long tables had been set up outside during the ballet, loaded with trays and serving dishes full of food. Flags representing the culture of each cuisine hung magically above as indicators for the guests. Beyond these long tables, dozens upon dozens of picnic tables were set up for everybody. It had been Tina's idea that they should go to what would be the now empty outdoor theater to eat their supper.

Newt had rejoiced inwardly at this idea for two reasons. One, he didn't relish the idea of eating among the crowd where he was likely to be recognized and bothered for autographs. Two, it meant he could spend more time alone with Tina. He was relieved beyond measure that she had accepted his apology and seemed to still not mind his company. Why in Merlin's name she didn't mind it was beyond his capacity to understand; he only knew that he was enjoying her company more and more.

While Tina had volunteered to get drinks for the two of them (butterbeer for both of them), Newt had agreed to get the food, and then they would meet in the empty outdoor auditorium. He had asked what type of food she would like and, after she had eyed the American flag with a raised eyebrow, she had smiled with amusement and pointed to it. " _Surprise me. I'd like to see what you Brits think of as American cuisine_."

He looked down at the two plates he held as he got closer to his destination. He hoped she would like it, whether or not she agreed with his own culture's idea about American cuisine. He himself wasn't a fussy eater at all, so he too had gotten a plate from the American table. The food gave off a nice smell, so that was a good sign.

When he came through the entrance, it didn't take him long at all to find Tina. She was completely alone in the outdoor auditorium. She was standing in the front row, her forearms resting on the stage. Two full jugs of butterbeer were placed on the stage beside her. Her eyes were straightforward, and she didn't seem to hear him approach.

Newt deliberately slowed his steps, the longer to spend looking at her. She was even more beautiful tonight than she had been the previous night. He didn't know why…perhaps it was the serene expression on her face now. She seemed to be remembering the ballet that they had just watched, for her eyes seemed to be watching invisible figures moving across the stage.

Then, it was Pickett who made their presence known. Because the two were alone together, he was free to show himself. He poked his upper body out of Newt's breast pocket, and waved at Tina with happy chirrups. Tina turned her head, caught sight of the man and his bowtruckle, smiled, and she waved at the latter.

"I remember you, Pickett!" Tina said to him. "Does he always stay with you, or does he just like parties?"

"Um, normally he stays with his brothers and sisters in their bonsai tree, but he had a cold recently, and still needs a bit of body warmth." He rattled off the standard excuse easily, knowing that he would offend Pickett and embarrass himself if he said the real reason aloud: _Pickett is clingy, and though I shouldn't play favorites, he's a favorite._

Tina gave the bowtruckle a sympathetic groan, and Newt remembered something. He asked, "So, I take it that your sister's cold hasn't gotten worse?"

"Oh, no, thank you for asking," replied Tina. "She's doing much better today, and will probably be one hundred percent by tomorrow."

"I'm glad to hear that, Tina." He then remembered what he was carrying. "Um…I hope you like it." He set down a plate on the stage in front of her. "Or, that it's not too bad, at least."

As he pulled forks and knives from his coat pocket, he heard Tina chuckle. "Hmm…roast chicken, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, buttered rolls…yup, that's a typical American meal. Thanks, Newt. Oh, you got the same thing?"

"I've never been to America, so I thought I would give it a try," replied Newt, handing her a fork and knife. "I nearly went there once, but it didn't work out."

"What happened?" asked Tina curiously before beginning to dig into her meal.

"Well, I was in Egypt, researching for my book. I came across some traffickers, and a local friend and I managed to rescue most of the creatures. One of them was a male thunderbird."

Tina gasped, which surprised Newt. He was about to ask what that was about, but she motioned with her hand for him to continue.

"Um, anyway, I planned to take it back to America and release it there. But the traffickers had spotted me and given my description to the Egyptian ministry, accusing me of other crimes. That kept me tangled in Egypt for a while, and the only country that they would release me to was my own after that. Thankfully, my friend was well acquainted with an American couple who spent part of the year in Egypt, and they managed to get it back to America for us. They wrote me at Christmas and told me that Frank had been successfully released to the wilds of Arizona."

Tina had listened to his story with rapt attention. When it was over, she turned back to her meal and murmured, "They must have been Thunderbirds."

"Excuse me?" Newt asked, confused.

Blushing a bit, Tina explained. "I mean, the American couple, at least one of them must have been a Thunderbird. The ballet doesn't really cover this, but Ilvermorny has four houses, and each is named after a magical creature native to America. One of them is Thunderbird." She pointed to the special Thunderbird brooch pinned to her chest. "It's my house, too."

Newt looked briefly at the pin before diverting his eyes back to his plate – no way was he going to let his eyes linger on her chest. "I see. I'm very curious, what are the other houses?"

"Pukwudgie, Horned Serpent, and Wampus Cat. Each house is meant to represent a part of one's being: the Wampus Cat, body; the Horned Serpent, mind; the Pukwudgie, heart; and the Thunderbird, soul."

Fascinated, Newt asked, "Are you allowed to choose your house?"

Tina shook her head. "No, it chooses you. At Ilvermorny, there is a statue of each creature to represent a house, and each new student stands in the middle of them. The statue that comes to life is the house chosen for you. Occasionally, more than one statue comes to life, and in that case, the student can choose which house they want to belong to."

"Were you and your sister in the same house?" asked Newt. "At Hogwarts, that happens quite often. Both my brother and I are Hufflepuffs."

Tina shook her head. "No, Queenie was chosen for Pukwudgie." She smiled softly to herself. "We weren't very disappointed, though. She'd been chosen for our father's house, and I'd been chosen for our mother's." She then gave him a funny, confused look. "Hufflepuff…is that an English creature?"

Newt huffed a laugh, and gladly explained the housing system of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, how each house had been designed in memory of one of the founders rather than a native magical creature. Tina seemed happy to learn more about his school as they ate their supper, and he answered each of the questions that she put to him as accurately as he could.

As they finished their meals, Tina said kindly, "It's nice to know more about Hogwarts. After all, Isolt drew inspiration from it to create her own school. At least, the bits and pieces that she managed to learn about it."

Newt nodded. "Yes…her's is truly an extraordinary story. I'm very glad to know that now."

"So…you liked the ballet?" she asked, almost shyly.

"Oh, yes, very much so," replied Newt honestly. "Have you seen it before? I imagine it is most popular in America."

"Yes, it is…" said Tina. She then bit her lip and moved a last grape from her fruit salad around her now empty plate. She seemed to be debating internally about what else to say to him. Newt, somehow sensing this, could only wait patiently. Finally, Tina spoke again.

"Yes, I've seen it before…I've also danced the role of Isolt."

Newt's eyes widened in surprise. Would this woman never stop surprising him? "You're…you're a dancer, Tina?"

Her cheeks flushed and she shook her head, still playing with the last grape on her plate. "No, not professionally. I danced a lot when I was younger, but I stopped after I finished school."

"Why?" The questioning word slipped out before Newt could stop it, and he winced in response. "I'm so sorry, Tina, it's none of my –"

"No, no, it's ok," Tina reassured him, looking at him again. "I don't mind telling you. I started dancing when I was very young; my momma said it was because I was a child with a lot of energy. I took lessons up until they died during a small dragonpox epidemic in the city. I was ten, Queenie was eight. Thankfully, at Ilvermorny, ballet is as popular as Quidditch is. I joined the ballet club, and was able to continue practicing. Every year, in May, Ilvermorny puts on the ballet based on our founding witch's life. I danced in it every year I was there, and I danced the lead my final year."

With that, she finally popped that last grape into her mouth. She then placed her fork and knife on the empty plate and looked at Newt. "Where should I…"

"Oh, I'll save us a trip," said Newt, tapping both of their used sets of eating utensils with his wand, causing them to disappear. "I've sent them to the kitchen."

Tina nodded gratefully. She then placed her palms on the edge of the stage, used this as leverage to lift herself up, and turned to sit on the edge of the stage. Newt did the same thing. The stands around them were empty, and in the near distance, they could hear the sounds of people talking and laughing as they ate together. The atmosphere was peaceful and happy.

Newt didn't know if it was that his curiosity about this woman was so strong, or the fact that she made him feel so comfortable, but he asked another personal question: "You never considered…dancing professionally?"

Thankfully, Tina didn't snap that it was none of his business. She slowly shook her head as she replied in a soft voice. "That wasn't an option…I was the oldest of two orphaned sisters, and we needed to survive."

Tina let out a breath and looked up at the mostly clear night sky. "If my parents hadn't died, and I'd had the option to try and make a career in ballet…I honestly don't know if I would have, in the end. Even if I'd managed to make a living by dance, it would have been a short-lived career. Besides, dancing wasn't my only dream as a child. My father was an auror, and I'd wanted to follow in his footsteps for as long as I can remember."

Newt listened, enraptured by the new layer of information that he was learning about her.

Eventually, after a minute of silence, Tina looked at him again. She didn't look sad or bitter, but at peace. "It's alright. I don't have any regrets. I wasn't completely sure before, but seeing it again tonight after so long…I'm sure now. And I certainly didn't stop dancing, by any means. It's what I do when I feel overwhelmed, or I don't know what to do with myself. Sometimes it's a speak-easy where the dancing is upbeat, sometimes an empty ballet studio."

"I draw," Newt said, again unable to stop himself, but this time because he could relate. "That's what I do when I don't know what to do with myself but I know I have to do something."

Tina smiled at him, and Newt smiled back. "Well, look at that: you have something in common with an auror."

Her tone was so teasing and light-hearted that Newt _had_ to laugh. But then, her expression became troubled and serious. "Newt…I'm sorry but I have to ask you something."

Not liking the way the conversation was shifting, and eager to put her at ease if he could, Newt replied, "Of course, ask anything."

Tina took a deep breath before she asked her question: "What made you have that unfair opinion about aurors?"

Newt gulped, and he lowered his head in shame. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before words came out.

"I…I can only say, Tina, that any opinion I formed was based on my experience researching and advocating for magical creatures, and I took that and conflated it beyond reason. I have always said, since I was a child, that there are no strange creatures but only blinkered people. Not until this morning did I realize that I had become blinkered, not about creatures, but about people. Especially certain kinds of people."

Tina slowly nodded her head, remembering her sister's theory: _This Newt is a man who's had more luck with creatures than humans._ She could well imagine that he had confronted humans, perhaps aurors, who did not share his opinion of magical creatures at all. She thought back to her own country, and the strict laws in New York about magical creatures. She could well imagine the same rules in other places, especially cities.

When she voiced this thought aloud to him, he had nodded in relief that she understood where he was coming from. But now Tina had to come to the crux of what was bothering her.

"But, Newt, what's bothering me the most is…what about your brother? He's an auror, and he's also my boss. True, I've only worked with him for two months, but never once have I thought him to be a careerist hypocrite who would kill first and question later. But if I'm wrong, I'd prefer to know now so that I don't find out the hard way later."

Before she had even finished speaking, Newt was shaking his head vigorously, more shame-faced than before. "No, no, Theseus is _not_ like that, not at all…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I really did blind myself, didn't I?"

"It would seem so," said Tina, her words careful because she knew that this was territory that was familiar to him but not her. However, she did know one or two things about having a sibling, specifically a sibling that seemed to have more luck in the human world than you did. Her next words were just as carefully asked: "You know, when I first met Theseus, I was a bit surprised by how young he seemed. Older than me, of course, but still, quite young to be the head of a team of investigative aurors."

Newt's reaction was the equivalent of explosive from such a soft-spoken man: he snorted, leapt off the stage, and began to pace. "Yes, the youngest ever head of a team of aurors. No surprise there, though. He's always been the pride and joy of the family. Prefect, Quidditch captain, head boy, became an auror with the top scores, rose faster in the ministry than even my father could have dreamed of, which is all he dreamed of for his sons."

Watching him, Tina bit her lip in concern. She had known a few people back home who had come from families where professional success (more specifically, MACUSA success) was the only type of success that mattered. She wasn't at all surprised that there should be such families on this side of the pond, especially in a country where name and tradition counted for a lot more than it did in America.

Remembering how Newt had made a point to steer her away from Theseus the previous night, and the fact that Theseus had never mentioned his brother since she'd met him, she tentatively asked, "So…do you two not have the best relationship?"

Newt sighed, still pacing but his pacing slowed somewhat. "It's…complicated. He's never been outright bullying or cruel, even when we were young. We were just so… _different_. As we got older, it became pretty clear that he thought that I was too different. At school he was constantly trying to get me to blend in, not be so weird, make more of an effort with other people, not spend all of my time with creatures…It's only recently that he's given up on trying to really change me. Apparently, having a best-selling book and a new status in the wizarding community has finally caused him and my father to get off my back."

Bitterness had crept into Newt's voice as he spoke. Tina listened, and was silent for some minutes after he had finished. When Newt noticed how quiet she was, he immediately felt bad for going off like a whiny child. It was just so _easy_ to talk to her. He stopped his pacing and walked back to the stage to stand beside her, still seated on the stage.

"I-I'm sorry, Tina, if I –"

But Tina held up a hand to stop him. "No, don't apologize, I'm just thinking…I wonder how old Theseus was the first time…"

"…The first time?" asked Newt with a furrowed brow.

"The first time that one or both of your parents took him aside and told him that it was his job to look out for you. I'd bet a good sum of money that this happened to Theseus at least once in his life."

The expression Newt gave her was one that she couldn't quite identify. Since he didn't seem offended or anything like that, Tina continued.

"I'm an older sibling, too, so maybe I can give you another view point about it. Since Theseus was never outright cruel or a bully in particular, it sounds to me like his attempts to get you to fit in rather than stand out came from more of a good place than a bad one. Perhaps it was his way to try and keep his promise to your parents and look after you, especially if your father is the kind of man who sees work and public success as true success."

Still, Newt was looking at her with that unreadable but still rapt expression. Feeling a little embarrassed, Tina concluded with flushed cheeks.

"I'm just saying it's a possibility, Newt." It was almost an apology.

Newt walked back to the stage and stood in front of Tina. His gaze was gentle but powerful. "You've had to protect your sister a lot, haven't you?"

Feeling vulnerable, Tina's instinct in nearly any other circumstance would be to hide it, flee, or defend herself. But what was it about this man that made her answer simply and honestly? She nodded and said softly, "I had to…we were on our own, and we needed to survive. But I made mistakes, too. I nearly lost her when I found out about Jacob, very nearly lost her for good…" She let out an embarrassed chuckle. "It was actually remembering Isolt's story that helped me change my mind and heart…she fell in love with James, a person without magic, and they made it work in circumstances much harder than today's. They proved that a love like that couldn't be evil…America has a bad habit of forgetting things like that…"

"England does, too," said Newt. "We all do, at one point or another, I think…"

Then, Newt surprised the both of them with what he did next. Their eyes locked, he raised a hand and brushed a lock of hair behind Tina's ear, just barely stroking her cheek. Tina couldn't breathe, and she couldn't look away.

"Thank you, Tina," he said softly, when his hand had dropped to the stage to rest beside her own. "I…I really needed to learn that point of view, I think."

Tina smiled in relief. Unconsciously, her hand closed the distance and took his own while she kept eye contact with him.

"I may not know what it's like to be the younger sibling, but I do know what it's like to be the sibling that has much less luck with people. Queenie was always at ease with people, found it easy to talk to them, and loved interacting with them. I've never…I suppose I've always felt more comfortable with myself than with most other people…"

"Me too," Newt breathed. His gaze fell to their joined hands, and he had never sounded shyer when he breathed his next words. "I don't…feel that way now, though."

Watching his thumb gently move across her knuckles, Tina barely heard her own response over the pounding of her heart. "Me, neither."

For what felt like a long time, the two of them remained like that in content silence. Neither wanted to speak, to ruin it with words, alone by the stage in the outdoor auditorium. Their eyes remained on their joined hands, watched as their fingers intertwined and their free hands came up to do the same. They seemed to move without thought, only heart, in no hurry, with some shyness but no fear.

Eventually, it was Tina who broke the silence when she noticed something had changed in the air. "It's quiet," she said, lifting her eyes to look around the still-empty stands.

Newt turned his head and murmured, "I suppose most of the guests have gone home…"

Tina sighed. "Then, I suppose it's time for me to leave, too."

Newt looked back at her with very sad eyes. He opened his mouth to argue, but settled for, "Do you…have to work tomorrow?"

Tina shook her head. "No, Theseus gave his team the days of the festival off. But still…I think this is a better note to end this evening on than last evening, don't you think?"

The gentle smile on her face took away any sting that her words could have implied. Newt nodded sheepishly, and then helped her off the stage. Now they stood close together, still holding hands.

"You'll come tomorrow, though, right? To the ball?"

Tina nodded. "Yes, I'll come."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"What will you wear? Everybody will be masked, and I want to find you as soon as possible."

Tina rolled her eyes. "I honestly don't know, actually. My sister has been putting together my wardrobe for this festival, and she likes to surprise me. But don't worry, we'll find each other." She let go of one of his hands so that she could shyly brush aside his messy fringe. "This hair will make it easier for me, so please don't try to tame it."

"Oh, I couldn't if I tried," said Newt as his heart did back-flips. "And your eyes…that's how I'll find you."

Tina was about to ask why when both turned their heads at the sound of footsteps and voices coming closer to the auditorium, most likely Ministry workers coming in to start dismantling the set-up. Pickett, who had been watching the two of them as if he were watching a play, immediately burrowed himself back into Newt's pocket.

Tina then turned back to Newt and met his eyes before leaning in and kissing his cheek. Newt's eyes shut at the sensation, and he opened them when he felt Tina let go of their hands. She was smiling with pink cheeks and sparkling eyes when she disapparated away.


	12. Dancing at Sunrise

When Tina woke up the next morning, it was early, just after dawn. Though she'd had the loveliest dream that she didn't want to let go of, Tina wasted no time in getting out of bed. Why try to hold onto a dream when you can recreate a good part of it?

After quietly taking care of herself in the bathroom, Tina slipped back into her bedroom and changed into a simple black leotard. After putting on her ballet shoes and grabbing her handbag, she disapparated from her bedroom.

She apparated into an empty ballet studio just two blocks away. She had discovered it very soon after moving to London, and had quickly learned what times it was open and closed. Though she knew that the building would not open until nine, she magically locked the door and sound-proofed the room. She also left the lights off, more than happy with the dawn light coming in through the windows. After setting aside her handbag, she across the dance floor to the ballet bar along the far wall.

Tina took her time as she went through her warm-up stretches and positions. She took this seriously and never skimped about it whenever she ballet-danced, even in such a casual situation as this. Whenever her hands came into her line of sight, a little smile would come to her face as she remembered how her hands and Newt's hands had intertwined the previous evening. His hands were calloused, almost rough, but his touch was gentle, and his skin was so warm…

When she had completed her warm-up, Tina turned to the baby-grand piano in the corner of the studio. After a flick of her wand, the instrument began to play of its own accord. The music it played were Tina's favorite tracks from the ballet _Isolt of Ilvermorny._

For ninety minutes, Tina danced. Sometimes, she fell back into the choreography that she remembered from the ballet. For the most part, though, she danced purely from the heart, following the music and letting it and her heart guide her movements.

While dancing was always something that had a positive effect on Tina, this morning she danced with more joy than she had in some time. She had a smile on her face nearly the entire time. Sometimes that was the result of pulling off a tricky dance move; other times, it was the result of remembering a certain face with multi-colored eyes that looked at her as if she were beautiful.

All of her life, Tina had believed that only when she danced could she be considered beautiful, because that was the only time she felt beautiful. After the two previous festival evenings, perhaps – just perhaps – she could be beautiful when she wasn't dancing, if only to one person.

And if that one person were Newt Scamander…well, Tina was just fine with that.

When the music on the piano had run its course, Tina stopped and sat down on the dance floor to catch her breath. Though her body felt tired from its activities, her mind and heart were refreshed and invigorated. She thought of the upcoming evening, and felt truly excited for the first time. Queenie would make her look lovely, she knew that, and she would see Newt again. And, because the theme of the night was a masquerade ball, perhaps she would be able to dance with him.

Tina clapped both hands over her mouth to cover the huge grin that spread across her face at the thought, as well as hold in the girlish giggle that felt so foreign to her. _What in Morrigan's name was happening to her?_

After a while, Tina looked up at the clock on the wall of the dance studio. Seeing what time it now was made her grin: Flourish and Blott's would open in a few minutes. _Perfect_ , she thought as she got up and gathered up her handbag. _I have a book to buy before I go home._

* * *

The early morning found Newt awake, as well. He had woken up just before dawn and, like Tina, had wasted no time lingering in bed (despite a very lovely dream). He managed to speed through his personal morning routine and feeding the few creatures in his suitcase, and he managed to get up on the roof as the sun was rising.

He sat in his favorite spot, by the giant chimney stack where he and Tina had watched the fireworks. This had long been a favorite spot of his, ever since he had discovered it as a child. With him, Newt had his sketchpad and a charcoal pencil. In the early morning light, Newt sketched, completely focused on pouring out the image he had in his mind onto the page. But each time a breeze grazed his left cheek, the spot where he had been kissed burned wonderfully, and he would raise his hand so that his fingers could brush the spot reverently.

Drawing had always been a creative outlet for him. According to some, he was quite good; his own sketches of magical creatures had been included in his book. Not only was this skill a benefit in his career, but it was Newt's way of channeling any emotions that were too strong or too foreign that he didn't know what to do with. Nothing helped Newt soothe anxiety than pouring all of his concentration into drawing a dragon.

But Newt was not drawing a dragon this summer morning. He bit his lip in concentration, for this was a creature that he hardly ever drew: a human. More specifically, a beautiful woman that he had dreamed about last night: Tina. In his dream last night, she had been dancing in the ballet that he had so recently watched with her.

The knowledge that Tina was a dancer thrilled him, as did each new aspect about this extraordinary woman that he learned thrilled him. It felt like each piece of information that he learned about this woman with the salamander eyes was the piece of a puzzle. Would he ever put every piece together? He certainly wanted to try.

"Bugger," Newt muttered to himself occasionally. Drawing humans (especially an exquisite one) was _not_ in his comfort zone, and he knew that this sketch would be nowhere as good as his drawings of magical creatures were.

By the time the sun had completely cleared the horizon, he only had the basic silhouette on the page. It was a familiar ballet image: the toes of both feet pointed, one to the floor, one pointed straight out behind her, with arms creating a loose circle above her head. To a stranger, this was a crude sketch of a ballet dancer with short dark hair, pale skin, and long but graceful limbs.

Finally, Newt gave up and closed his sketchbook. Perhaps if he hadn't only dreamed it, he could get it right…would he ever have the chance to see Tina dance? Instinctively, he knew that it would be an incredibly personal request, and he'd only known her for two evenings…Two evenings? Why did it feel longer? Why did he feel as if he'd known her his whole life?

The thought of dancing led Newt to remember the theme of this last evening of the summer festival: the masquerade ball. Ball…a ball meant dancing…he might have the chance to dance with Tina tonight. This thought both exhilarated and terrified him. Just the thought of having the opportunity to actually hold Tina in his arms…

He forced his mind to a screeching halt along that train of thought. After all, it had been years since the dancing lessons he'd been forced to take the summer he was fifteen. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was step on Tina's toes if he had the chance to dance with her.

When his stomach rumbled, Newt knew it was time to get off the roof. Hopefully, with a good meal in his stomach, he'd be able to remember better the basic steps of a waltz…

* * *

 **A/N:** _Sorry for the short and largely introspective chapter. I hope to have the next chapter up before the weekend is over. Don't worry, that one will be longer and have more dialogue._


	13. Before The Ball

"Teenie!"

Said woman was brought back to reality with a jolt, a fish being pulled up from the deep water to the surface. Tina always felt like that when she was pulled away from a good book. And the book that she was reading (for the third time that day) was _very_ good.

Sighing, she looked up to find her sister standing over her with a very big smirk on her face. "I know you're reading your fella's book, but I _really_ need you right now."

Tina's cheeks turned the color of a tomato, and she shut _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_ before placing it on her bedside table. "He's not my fella," Tina mumbled.

Queenie snorted. "You spent the last two evenings of this festival completely with this fella. And two dates like that mean that, if he's not your fella yet, he will be very soon."

Tina began to stutter a reply of denial, but Queenie was too quick.

"Teenie, you _cannot_ say that these haven't been like dates! Remember: I've seen it all in your mind. You've let me see everything, including how many times you two have held hands…" Queenie's smirk widened, if that were possible. "Not to mention how he stroked your hair and that you kissed him on the cheek –"

"Alright, alright!" Tina said, the flush to her cheeks creeping down her neck. "Take it easy, Queenie, this is…" Tina groaned, almost growled, in frustration and covered her face with her hands. "I'm so new to this, it's pathetic…"

"No, Teenie!" said Queenie, sitting down beside Tina on the bed and rubbing her arm. "It's not pathetic at all! I'm sorry for teasing, you know I mean no harm by it. I'm just excited for you, that's all."

"I know," Tina said softly, lowering her hands so that she could squeeze her sister's own. Then she let out a breathless laugh. "It's so strange…these feelings…can they really happen so fast?"

Queenie giggled. "Of course, Tina! When I walked into Jacob's bakery by pure chance, and we locked eyes for the first time…there was a spark of magic that is beyond any of us. I think the same thing is happening with you and Newt." A stern look came to Queenie's face as she caught a certain thought going through her sister's mind. "And _no_ , Teenie. There is nothing the matter with you!"

Tina turned her head to look out the window. It was another blessedly beautiful summer day, promising a summer night just as lovely. "I guess I know that…maybe if I haven't been so much on my own, I would know it even more. But this is all unfamiliar territory to me, Queenie. It's a little scary, you know?"

Queenie nodded, and she gave her sister a reassuring hug. "I understand, Teenie, I do." When she pulled away, she smiled at Tina. "Right now, I don't want you to think any further than tonight. Which is why I need you right now. It's time for your fitting."

Tina furrowed her brow, at a momentary loss. "Fitting?"

Still smiling, Queenie turned to the open bedroom door and pulled out her wand. After a wordless wave, Tina gasped and covered her mouth when she saw what floated into the room of its own accord.

Queenie had summoned into the room her best creation (as Tina would call it later). The ball gown was of a beautiful, shimmering gold. The gown itself seemed to be made of soft golden silk, with golden lace embroidered into the bust and flowing skirt. The only kind of sleeves to the gown appeared to be silken strands meant to rest just below her shoulders.

Catching the tail-end of Tina's observations, Queenie said, "I knew you would object if there weren't some type of sleeves. But Tina, you have _such_ a lovely neck and shoulders, especially with your pale skin. Tonight is the perfect way to show them off! And now, watch this."

Queenie, whose wand was levitating the gown, flicked her wrist. The gown rotated in the air, twirling of its own accord to that the skirt fanned out beautifully.

"Perfect for dancing, no constrictions there," said Queenie with pride. "I know you're hoping to do that tonight with Newt. Now, get up off the bed and take off your clothes. I need to make sure that this gown fits you like a glove."

Overwhelmed, Tina blinked away tears that came to her eyes before obeying her sister's orders.

* * *

"One, two, three…one, two, thr – oh, _buggering balls_!"

The very British expletive was the result of Newt tripping over his own feet in the library of his childhood home, where he had retreated that afternoon in order to refresh his memory of the waltz. To his surprise, his outburst was not met with silence but with a snort and a chuckle. Turning his head towards the library door, Newt's jaw dropped in shock when he saw who was standing there.

Theseus was leaning in the open doorway, one hand in his pocket and holding a newspaper in the other. Like any big brother, he made no attempt to hide his amusement at watching his little brother trip over his own feet.

Though Newt's ears turned red in embarrassment, it was shock that was the strongest reaction now. After all, he hadn't spoken to Theseus since that horrible breakfast the previous morning. Newt had resolved to try to make things right with Theseus after the festival was over, ideally tomorrow. But now, Theseus had surprised him, and Newt knew that he had to try now.

"Umm…" Newt began brilliantly. "I, uh…I was just –"

"I can guess, Newt," interrupted Theseus, not unkindly, as he walked into the library and shut the door behind him. "Leta and I spotted you in the stands during the ballet last night, and we saw who was sitting with you. Even though you appeared to have patched things up with her, I'd still like for you to read this."

With that, Theseus handed Newt the paper that he'd been carrying. Looking at it, Newt saw that it was an older edition of _The Daily Prophet_ dating back to the previous December. Theseus had folded it to the section devoted to international news. The main headline there read, _**Second Salemer Headquarters in New York City Shut Down**_.

Newt sat down on the armchair closest to him and began to read. As he did, words that Tina had said to him two night ago about the wizarding community in America came back to him: " _There are muggle factions and groups who not only believe in magic, but would like nothing more than to get rid of all people with magical abilities._ Reading the article, it was clear that these 'Second Salemers' were one such group.

As Newt read about the investigative team of aurors from MACUSA whose investigation had successfully shut this group down, Tina's name jumped out at him. According to the article, it had been she who had protected the orphaned children that were enslaved to this fanatical group, and seen that each went to a good family in the aftermath.

Reading this, Newt's heart was touched. This sounded like the Tina that he was getting to know. The way she had reacted to Dougal and had been with the unicorns was all the proof that he needed of Tina's compassionate nature and open heart. This new evidence of that was just a cherry on top of the sundae.

"It may seem unnecessary at this point," said Theseus, "but I wanted to bring you proof that not all aurors are as horrible as you think they are. I know there can be some real arseholes carrying an auror badge, and it's because of them that people can have this opinion. When Miss Goldstein applied for a job here, I hired her not only because she was a very skilled witch, but because she defies that stereotype." The older brother sighed. "I'm glad that she's changing your mind when I couldn't."

Newt shut his eyes in a wince. "I'm sorry, Theseus," he murmured. "Truly, I am. I never really thought of you in that light, but either way, I was wrong…Leta put it the best way: I'd become as blinkered about humans as some people are about magical creatures."

Theseus gave a half smile, walking to the sofa and sitting down beside Newt. "We both know how smart she is," he said, "and I'm glad to hear you say that, Newt." He then sighed again. "But we still need to have a talk. You've been so distant from me ever since you came back home; don't deny that you go out of your way to avoid our company."

Feeling more ashamed by the second, Newt said to his shoes, "I won't, because I can't…I want to put things right, too, Theseus."

Theseus rubbed the back of his neck – a gesture that they had both inherited from their father for whenever they felt uncomfortable. "Have any idea of a good place to start?"

Newt thought, and again, it was words that Tina had spoken to him which came into his mind. Relieved, he repeated them to Theseus:

"How old were you, Theseus, the first time that father or mother took you aside…"

* * *

There was a soft knock on Tina's bedroom door, followed by a muffled voice, "Are you ladies decent?"

Queenie smiled and said through a mouthful of pins, "Come in, honey!"

Jacob opened the door and smiled at the sight he saw. Tina was standing on a footstool by her bed, and Queenie was on her knees before her. She appeared to be adjusting the hem of the gown that Tina wore. This was a gown that Jacob had frequently seen his wife working on in the past week. Whenever he came upstairs for lunch with his wife (Tina would be at work), he would find her working on either this gown or one of the other two dresses for Tina to wear to the festival.

To see this golden gown in all of its glory on his sister-in-law filled his heart with pride and happiness for Queenie. He knew how much it meant to her to do this for her big sister, and he was happy to see just how lovely the fruits of her labor had turned out.

Queenie, of course, heard his mind, and she smiled at him as best she could with her mouth full of pins before resuming her work.

Jacob returned her smile and then looked at Tina. The tall woman was standing still, her hands folded in front of her, and she gave him a nervous smile in return. It was easy for Jacob to see that she was nervous, but he could also tell that she was excited. Her cheeks wouldn't be so pink if she weren't excited.

"I think, when your fella sees you tonight, he'll write a whole other book about how beautiful you look," Jacob said, teasing but still sincere.

"For Morrigan's sake, he's – _ouch!_ " Tina began exasperatedly, but her words were cut off when her little sister pinched her ankle and gave her a glare. So, she sighed and mumbled, "Thanks, Jacob," as her cheeks went even more pink.

Her brother-in-law held up his copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them._ Tina had bought two copies that morning after her dancing session, one for her and one for Jacob and Queenie. Because it was quite a short book, they had all read it by now at least once.

"Please tell him that he wrote a truly – no pun intended – fantastic book," said Jacob.

Queenie made a sound of eager agreement.

"I will," said Tina happily, glad that the two of them had enjoyed it as much as she had.

Jacob looked down at the book and gave a happy sigh. "You know…this magical world I'm lucky enough to be a part of never stops surprising me. I mean, us non-magical kids grow up hearing legends and fairy tales about some of these creatures, and now to know that they're real…well, that's something!"

Tina furrowed her brow. "What do you mean 'fairy tales'? Do muggles have a lot of stories that have fairies in them?"

Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "Well, they're more like…fables, I suppose. Stories told to children that are meant to teach some kind of lesson, but have magical elements in order to keep them interested. I think they're called 'fairy tales' because the most well-known ones – at least, the most well-known one – has a creature called a 'fairy' in it."

"Done!" said Queenie after removing the spare pins carefully from her mouth and lowering her hands from the hem of Tina's gown. Sitting up straight, she looked at her husband with curiosity. "What _is_ the most well-known tale?"

"Well, what comes to my mind is the tale of Cinderella," replied Jacob. He looked at Tina and smiled. "That's actually appropriate, given that you're going to a ball, Tina."

Getting the basic plot of the story from Jacob's mind, Queenie immediately clapped her hands and said, "Ooooo, tell us the story while I do Teenie's hair and make-up, Jakie!"

Jacob shrugged happily and complied.

* * *

Theseus was just finishing combing his hair when he heard a knocking on his bedroom door. Smiling, he walked to the door, fully expecting to see his fiancée looking so beautiful it would take his breath away. When he opened the door, though, he was meant with quite a different sight: his very nervous little brother, in his white tie and tails, with a simple black mask on the upper half of his face.

"So sorry, Theseus, but um, could you…" His finger pointed to his undone bowtie. "It just won't come right, no matter how many times I've charmed it…my hand shakes."

Theseus was instantly reminded of the time when Newt had been five-years-old and had trouble tying his shoes. Chuckling, Theseus immediately brought his hands up and worked on Newt's bowtie.

As he did, he met his brother's eye and said, "Thank you for the talk today, little brother."

Newt gave a jerky nod, but his response was sincere. "Overdue, I know, but I'm glad that we did."

"And you'll talk to Leta soon? That's been overdue, as well."

Newt nodded. "Promise. But not tonight, Theseus, please? Tonight I just…" His voice trailed off as his ears turned red.

Theseus smirked. "Tonight you'll only have eyes for Miss Goldstein?"

Newt's flaming red ears spoke for themselves.

Theseus chuckled again and finished the bowtie. "All done." He stepped back and looked his little brother over. His gaze ended on his brother's head. "You're not going to attempt to tame your haystack of hair?"

"No!" Newt exclaimed, looking affronted. At Theseus's confused look, Newt's cheeks colored as he mumbled. "Tina said…she would find me by my hair."

Now Theseus laughed fully, but not unkindly. "Well, that's a smart way to find you if you leave it alone!" His expression became a little more serious as he looked more closely at his brother. "You've really connected with her, haven't you?"

Newt glanced up at his brother and nodded slowly, seriously. "Do you mind?" he asked. "Because she works with you?"

Theseus shook his head. "My aurors' personal lives are their own business. Personally, I think that she would be good for you, and you for her."

"Thank you," said Newt quietly.

"Are you two ready?"

Both men turned towards the female voice coming towards them. It was Leta, fully dressed for the masked ball, and she looked stunning. Her dress was ebony black, long and sleek with a fishtail gown, the texture giving the illusion of smoothed feathers. The mask that she wore matched her gown, and her long hair was pinned up in an elegant bun.

"You both look so handsome, even mysterious in your masks," said Leta, smiling at the brothers.

Theseus stepped up to her and said, in a breathless voice, "And you are breath-taking."

Leta smiled at him as he took her hands. "It's time to go downstairs." She looked at Newt, smirked, and asked, "Will we see you and Miss Goldstein on the dance floor tonight?"

"Oh, that's certainly what he's aiming for," Theseus said, giving his brother a very teasing glance as both recalled how Theseus had found him in the library hours ago.

Newt, wanting to disappear from embarrassment, averted his eyes and grumbled, "See you both later."

Taking pity on him, Theseus and Leta linked arms, turned, and walked away.

Newt watched their retreating figures until they had turned a corner and disappeared. He felt no echo of a pang, as he had been since coming back to England to find his older brother and former best friend romantically together. This was a relief, and he thanked Merlin that he'd been able to clear the air with Theseus today, as he should have done much sooner. He again resolved to keep his promise to his brother and do the same thing with Leta soon.

But not tonight. The clock chiming the twenty-first hour from the next room made Newt's every nerve come alive with excitement. And that excitement had everything to do with the woman he couldn't wait to be with again.

* * *

 **A/N:** _I'm SO sorry that I didn't post this sooner! I caught a bad cold that slowed me up for a while. Now that I don't feel like a corpse, I can post a new chapter!_


	14. Two Dances

Shock. Tina Goldstein was in absolute shock.

This woman, this beautiful woman in a golden gown, staring back at her from the mirror…it _couldn't_ be her, it just _couldn't_!

"Yes, it can," said Queenie, who was standing beside her, but not near enough so that she would appear in the mirror. "And _it is_."

Tina took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hoping it would calm her heart. If this was indeed her, than the only thing that she could say with absolute certainly was that she had never looked like this before. Her hair had never been so pretty, its usually rough waves and blunt cut now smooth like a dark cherry-wood. Thankfully, her make-up was minimal – a rose-pink color on her lips and some dark mascara to her eyelashes – but they certainly complemented her face. And then, there was her gown…Morrigan, her body had _never_ looked so good! Her fingers tentatively touched the bodice of her golden gown, tracing the shimmering lace sewn into the silk.

Desperate for a distraction from gawking at her reflection, Tina turned to Queenie with worry, "This didn't cost you a lot of money, did it? All of the material for my new dresses? This especially –"

"Teenie," Queenie interrupted. "Don't worry about that. Have you forgotten what makes me such a good shopper?" She tapped her right temple with her forefinger, smiling proudly. "I always find where to get the best bargains and prices, whether or not they answer my questions truthfully or not. And, if necessary, I can talk them down to nearly any price I want."

Tina laughed softly. Of course, how could she have forgotten? There had been times, right after their parents died, when Tina had been sure that only because of Queenie's special talent they had been able to afford enough food to eat. Again, she looked down at her dress before asking her sister a new question:

"I know what your inspirations were for my first two dresses, Queenie. The first was Momma and the second was Isolt…what was the inspiration for this one?"

A soft and bittersweet expression came to Queenie's face. "Well…it's actually inspired by one of the first memories I have. I must have been two or three, because you weren't very big yourself; maybe you had just started dance classes. Anyways, I just remember…Papa was twirling you in the middle of the living room. You know, he held your hand above your head and you were trying to do a pirouette…You were both laughing, and you were both happy…I think Momma was making cookies in the kitchen, because I always remember this when I smell them…You were wearing a bright yellow dress, Teenie."

Tina's heart lurched as she listened to Queenie's voice describing this memory. As she did, Tina's own mind brought back that buried memory, a memory that she herself had buried because it had been too painful to remember. That yellow dress…it had been her favorite when she was little because the skirt was so twirly…

Hearing it now through Queenie's point of view brought it back up, but it didn't hurt so much to remember it now. Perhaps time had done its job, or perhaps the fact that it was a shared memory…either way, Tina was glad to learn that this painful wound was now a scar.

So, Tina responded to her sister's explanation without words; instead, she hugged Queenie tightly, and Queenie hugged her right back. When they pulled apart, both with bright eyes, Tina grabbed onto the first thing she could think of to say:

"Thank you for finding some pretty dancing slippers for me to wear as opposed to heeled shoes, by the way. I'm already as tall as Newt, and I don't want to tower over him."

"And they're much easier to dance in," said Queenie with a teasing smile.

She then reached into the pocket of her flower-patterned robe and pulled out a mask. It was a half-mask, just enough to conceal her forehead and the areas around her eyes. It was made of the same golden lace that was sewn into her gown, and two white ribbons were dangling from the sides. "The final touch," said Queenie, motioning for Tina to turn around.

Tina did so, and carefully held the mask still while Queenie tied the ribbons behind her head, hidden under her hair. Once Queenie was finished securing the mask, she turned Tina around to face her. In the bedroom, Tina's alarm clock showed that it was nearly half past nine in the evening.

It was time for Tina to go to the ball.

Before Tina's nerves had the chance to get the better of her, Queenie reached out and squeezed her hands. "Go, Teenie, and have an absolutely _wonderful_ time with your fella!"

For the first time, Tina didn't try to correct her. Perhaps because she knew that Queenie wouldn't accept it, or maybe she just liked to hear Newt being called that… _My fella…_

Queenie, of course, heard this, and she smirked. "Go, Teenie! Don't keep him waiting! And don't think of worrying about staying too late, alright? I'm perfectly fine now."

Tina nodded, squeezed her sister's hands one more time, and then stepped back to disapparate.

Once Tina had vanished, Queenie gave a happy sigh and wiped the corner of her eye. She then exited Tina's bedroom and walked down the short hallway. She found Jacob in the living room, sitting in his easy chair and going over noting the day's receipts from the bakery.

He looked up when he heard her enter, and he smiled at the sight of his wife. "Cinderella off to the ball?"

Queenie giggled and nodded. "I like that story, Jakie," she said as she perched herself on the arm. "Especially because it's so obvious that it's based on a true story."

Jacob chuckled, rubbing Queenie's back. "Yeah…knowing what I know about your world now, it's pretty obvious that the fairy godmother was a witch that knew the lucky girl, maybe a neighbor or her actual godmother.

Queenie nodded. "Either way, it was most likely real."

Jacob gave a noise of agreement. "I'm assuming that you didn't charm that lovely dress you made for Tina to turn into rags at the stroke of midnight?" he teased.

Queenie laughed. "Of course not! That part of the story was either made up for dramatic effect, or the witch did it in order to get her home before her nasty relatives."

Jacob nodded. Then, he looked up at his wife as a new thought came to him. "Are you disappointed? That we couldn't go, I mean?"

Queenie paused before she answered honestly. "Only a little. You know that I love any opportunity I can wear something pretty and dance with you. But this is Teenie's night, and her chance to find the happiness with someone that we have. That's much bigger than any disappointment I have in my heart."

Jacob gave her a proud and tender smile before getting up from his chair. He moved quickly, knowing that Queenie would soon learn his new idea before he could truly surprise her. No matter: she was absolutely delighted by it.

He walked over to the radio and turned it on. A soft and slow jazz tune filled the room, and Jacob walked back to his wife as he said, "Well, I know this isn't a ballroom and we're not in fancy dress, but you _are_ wearing something pretty and we can dance all night, if you want."

He extended a hand to her with a gallant bow. Queenie giggled, accepted his hand, and happily let her husband dance her around the living room.

* * *

Newt, for the first time in his life, didn't feel uncomfortable around so many people. The simple act of putting a mask on his face worked more thoroughly than a disillusionment charm or even an invisibility cloak. With those, he would have needed to avoid the crowds altogether, be very careful not to bump into anybody and alert them to your presence. Here, though, wearing white-tie-and-tails and a black half-mask on his face, he was invisible in the best way. Nobody stared at him with curiosity or something worse, and nobody approached him for an autograph or a photograph. That was quite a relief.

Besides, he doubted if any of the people arriving would have paid him much attention even if he'd been recognizable. Every person he saw arriving to the ball had a look of awe on their face, and for good reason.

On the grounds of the Scamander estate, the Ministry workers had set up a huge tent of white gossamer, translucent enough to make out the moon and stars above. This made sense, considering the modest ballroom of the house itself was far too small to hold the volume of people coming. Again, the English summer weather had been very generous for the evening.

Newt stood outside the tent, just a few yards away from the tent's grand entrance; Theseus and Leta were standing just inside the tent, greeting all of the guests who came in. His parents were elsewhere in the tent, perhaps talking with old friends that they felt comfortable with. The reason that Newt was not also inside the large tent was not because of his natural aversion to being in a crowd.

No…he was looking for Tina.

About a half an hour had gone by since Newt had come outside after Theseus and Leta. The steady trickle of guests arriving was growing less in volume. Less people for him to observe and try to recognize as the one he was looking for. It was a comfort that he was looking for a woman rather than a man: all the men wore more or less the same penguin suit and the same type of black half-mask, whereas no woman wore a similar gown or mask. So he observed each woman who walked by, hoping to find Tina in one of them.

A woman in a deep burgundy gown with black spangles… _No, she's too short to be Tina…_ A woman in a turquoise gown with golden feathers… _No, her hair is a reddish gold, not at all like Tina's hair…_ A woman in a shimmering golden gown…

 _Wait…could it be?_

He first spotted her from some distance, but the first signs were encouraging. She was tall and slim, just as Tina was. Her skin was just as pale as Tina's. Her hair was the same length and color as Tina's. Yes, this was a strong possibility…but he needed to get a proper look at her eyes. Then he would know for sure.

As she came closer, he could make out an expression of awe on her face. Even though she wore a half-mask that matched her dress, he could see in her wide eyes and her smile that she was delighted by the sight. He took several steps forward, his heart beginning to pound, silently begging this woman to notice him. To look at him. To let him know that the woman he couldn't stop thinking about was finally here.

By the grace of Merlin, the woman's gaze drifted across the tent towards his direction. When she saw him, she stopped. Their eyes met…and just like that, he knew. And he knew that she had recognized him, too.

Both of them walked towards each other across the grass, their gazes never breaking. When they were a foot apart, it was Newt who spoke first. One word, in a voice of reverence:

" _Tina._ "

And her reply was equally breathless:

" _Newt._ "

And she smiled again, but only for him. Newt, overwhelmed with joy, took her hand and kissed it, bending over it like a shrine. A part of Tina wanted to giggle with glee at this courtly gesture, but she didn't dare break the magic of this moment. She offered no resistance when he took her other hand with his as he brought his head back up.

"You came," he said, quietly but with real joy.

"Of course I came," said Tina. "I said I would, and I just couldn't…not…"

Newt nodded a little. He drank in the sight of her like a fine wine before he managed to say, "Lovely…you're so lovely, Tina…"

Under literally any other circumstance, Tina would have blushed, shaken her head, and made a denial or a joke to brush off such a compliment. This time, though, she only blushed.

Seeming to sense that another such compliment right now would very well bring out the full reaction from her, Newt let go of her hands so that he could hold out his arm. "Shall we?"

Tina let out a breath, nodded, and took his arm. Soon, they had joined the trickling queue of arriving guests and walked into the white gossamer tent.

"Oh, wow…" Tina breathed as her eyes took in the interior. The ground inside the tent had been transfigured from glass to smoothed wooden tiles perfect for dancing on. Little white-clothed tables with flowers on them were set up around the edge of the tent, and in the middle was the dance floor; an orchestra took up a space right beside it. Above them, light was being provided by fairies, swinging gaily from little swings hung up from the rafters holding the tent up.

Tina had to laugh when she spotted them. "Oh, they must be very happy to be showing off to so many people."

"Oh, yes," Newt agreed. "There is no creature so vain on this earth than a fairy."

Tina nodded before saying her next words. "Yes…I remember you saying something similar in your book."

Newt stopped in his tracks and looked at her with wide eyes. "…You did?"

Tina nodded and gently tugged his arm so that the line of guests could keep moving. Soon, they had come up to Theseus and Leta. They both opened their mouths to give their standard warm greeting, but they smirked when they recognized Newt and saw the lady on his arm.

While Leta just continued to smirk with twinkling eyes, Theseus grandly swept his arm towards the dance floor. "Your destination is that way."

His ears turning scarlet, Newt threw him a nasty look and quickly moved him and Tina along the queue. However, the place he led her was the dance floor. A few other couples had drifted there, waiting for the orchestra to begin a new number; they were currently changing their sheet music.

Facing each other again, Newt again took her hands in his and asked, "So you…you did read my book…did you, um…?"

Tina smiled at him and nodded. "It was wonderful, Newt. Really, it was. It deserves all of the praise and attention it's gotten, and then some."

The ever-humble magizoologist blushed and lowered his head. "I did my best," he mumbled.

Tina brought his attention back to her by letting go of his right hand, putting her fingers under his chin, and lifting his face so that they're eyes could meet. "Forgive the pun, but your best was fantastic."

In that moment, Newt wanted nothing more than to drown in her eyes.

Then, the orchestra began to play a waltz, and the other couples on the dance floor began to move. Tina firmly raised her right hand in his left, and placed her left hand on his shoulder. Newt's own right hand lifted but then hesitated.

"Tina…I haven't danced in a very long time, so please forgive me if I –"

"Newt," she interrupted firmly. "I'm a ballerina. My feet are by far the toughest parts of my body, and they have been through worse than someone accidently stepping on them. So, please, don't worry about that. Just keep your eyes up here and let's enjoy this."

Relieved beyond measure, Newt placed his right hand on her lower back, inching just a bit closer to her. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

They shared one more smile before they began the traditional steps.


	15. In The Garden

Ingrid Berryroot stood a little apart from the crowd, slowly circling the interior of the tent, her eyes sharp and a camera in her hands. A part of her wished that she could be a true part of the crowd, just a party-goer enjoying herself. But, as a photographer for _Spellbound_ magazine, she had a job to do. This was the biggest party of the year for the magical community of the British Isles, and it was her job to capture as many good images as possible.

She turned her camera to the dance floor, where couples were dancing another waltz. Through her camera lens, she glimpsed a couple that she'd spotted several times. The man had messy amber hair, and the woman wore a lovely golden gown. There was nothing superficially that set them apart from the other gorgeous couples; the woman was no more striking than the other women, and the man was no more handsome than the other men.

Still…there was something about them. This couple hadn't left the dance floor since they had arrived over an hour ago. They had that look about them, that "young lovers look" that Ingrid had recognized in many young people. That look that only had eyes for the other, where the rest of the world was below them and they didn't care if they ever came back down again.

A perfect picture of a couple like that would be fantastic for the magazine.

So, she watched through the lens of her camera patiently, waiting for a flash of gold. When it came, her hands were steady and her finger was quick. She was smiling as she lowered her camera. Fifteen years of being a professional photographer told her that she'd gotten the shot that she'd wanted.

She watched the young couple dance with a smile before turning her camera in another direction.

* * *

Newt and Tina were giggling as they clapped for the orchestra. They had just finished a foxtrot that had ended in Newt dipping Tina by surprise. The conductor bowed to the people and announced that the orchestra would be taking a short break.

"Well," said Newt, slightly out of breath but grinning like a happy fool. "Shall we get some refreshments?"

"Sounds like a plan," replied Tina, her cheeks pink and her eyes sparkling.

Arm-in-arm, the pair walked off the dance floor to the long refreshments table on the east side of the tent. A queue was forming just as they reached it, due to the orchestra's break. Thankfully, they had made it there first. Several house elves employed by the Ministry stood behind the table, ready to serve any order. Both Newt and Tina, being in a happy mood, each asked for a glass of champagne.

As they moved down the table to make way for the next people in the queue, Tina slipped her arm through Newt's again and asked, "Shall we drink to anything? I've only had champagne a few times, and each time, there was some kind of toast."

"Hmm…" Newt contemplated, looking down into his bubbling glass before looking back at Tina with a shy smile. "To finding each other."

Tina's heart fluttered, and she returned his smile before tapping his glass with hers. They each took a hearty sip that left their tongues popping and their hearts pounding.

Suddenly, the happy mood was broken by a man blocking their way, forcing them to stop. He was in the standard white-tie-and-tails, but the tie was undone and his mask was crooked. His hair was long, white-blond, coming out of a ponytail messily. He had a glass of hard liquor in one hand, and he was leering at Tina.

"Wanna dance, lovely?" he asked in a slurred voice.

Tina, put off by everything from the leering to the smell, stepped back as she recoiled. Newt, his arm going from through hers to around her waist, said in a low but firm voice: "She's with me, Malfoy."

"Oh, come on, share the goods!" said Malfoy, his leering smile never leaving Tina as he attempted a step closer. On instinct, Tina wrapped her own arm around Newt, her entire body tense to strike if this creep made one move to touch her.

But just as he began to lean in, a woman in a teal gown appeared by Malfoy's side and tugged him back. Though she wore an elaborate feather mask, the furious expression on her face was plain enough. "Basil!" she hissed. "You promised that you would behave yourself tonight!"

Basil Malfoy, who didn't look at all happy that his wife had found him, looked down at his feet as he swayed from one foot to another. Mrs. Malfoy turned her furious gaze towards Newt and Tina.

"Believe me, ma'am," said Tina, holding him her free hand placatingly and speaking in a calm voice. "I have no interest in helping your husband misbehave, now or ever."

To hers and Newt's surprise, Mrs. Malfoy's expression chilled from a furious hot to a snobbish cold. "Let's go, Basil," she said, her gaze looking down on Tina. "You should know better than to speak to common American trash."

Before either Newt or Tina could recover from their shock, the Malfoys had walked away and disappeared into the crowd. Furious as Newt felt, his concern was for Tina, and he turned to look at her. The parts of her face he could see were very pale, and her lips were folded tightly. The look in her eyes was distant.

"Tina?" he said, almost timidly, the voice of a man who wanted desperately to help but didn't know how. He was so angry that, if Tina had asked him to track those two down and curse them out of the tent, he would have.

Tina took a deep breath and then looked at Newt. He could see it was taking an effort for her to keep a neutral face. "Could we…um…I'd like some fresh air…"

"Of course, of course," said Newt immediately.

His arm still around her, Newt quickly led her to the tent's entrance and they exited into the open air. Newt immediately knew where he could take Tina.

"May I take you to the gardens behind the house?" he asked as they continued to walk. "Until you're ready to go back?"

"That sounds wonderful," replied Tina, her head briefly resting on his shoulder. "Lead the way, please."

Newt couldn't help but squeeze her waist reassuringly; she returned the gesture. They kept an arm around each other as Newt led her across the lawn and around the large house. They entered the gardens through a delicate wooden arch. Newt slowed their pace as they walked along the winding path, but he had a clear destination in mind. He stopped them when they came to a small, circular clearing, surrounded by rose bushes. In the center of the clearing was a white marble fountain, where water softly trickled down into a circular basin.

When their steps had stopped, Tina turned to face Newt, her arm slipping from around his waist. He let his, too, since she felt much more relaxed than she had when they'd encountered the Malfoys (though his arm practically screamed in protest).

Turning to face him, Tina asked, "Do you mind if we take our masks off? I mean, now that nobody's around to ask for your autograph?"

Newt chuckled and immediately raised his hands to the back of his head. "Gladly. It was starting to get itchy."

Tina raised her own hands to her neck, and in no time at all, they were looking at each other unmasked. Again, Newt was breathless as he looked at Tina and how lovely she was. But then, he remembered why they had come here, and he motioned to a stone bench near the fountain. "Let's sit down."

They sat. After Newt had put both of their masks in his inner blazer pocket for safe-keeping, he turned to Tina and reached for her hand. It relieved him when she took it. "Are you alright, Tina?"

Tina nodded, rubbing her forehead with her free hand as she looked at their hands. "As well as a person can be after being called trash," she replied. She huffed a breath. "At least she didn't know that I was Jewish. Then she probably would have called me much worse."

" _Disgusting_!"

Tina looked up at Newt sharply, her heart stopping in fear for a moment. But his next words, spoken to his knees, alleviated any fear before it could sprout.

"It sickens me. The prejudice of the pure-bloods – Merlin, any prejudice at all – what good does it do? None. Is it ever right? No!" He sighed, and looked at Tina with sadness. "I'm so sorry –"

"No, don't do that, Newt!" interrupted Tina, holding his hand more tightly. "Don't apologize for something that isn't remotely your fault!"

Newt eventually nodded, and they sat in silence for a while, watching the water of the fountain.

"How did you know him?" asked Tina. "That Malfoy guy, I mean, with his mask on?"

Newt rolled his eyes. "The hair. Only a Malfoy could have hair like that. They're known for it. When I heard his wife say his first name, I was sure it was not only a Malfoy, but a particular Malfoy. He was in Theseus's year at Hogwarts. A Slytherin, obviously, and a prick who thought that his name and family money meant that he could get away with anything. He and Theseus clashed quite a bit, especially on the Quidditch field." Newt smirked. "Thankfully, Theseus was always the better student _and_ the better player every time."

Tina smiled softly. "Money can't buy everything…I wonder if Basil Malfoy will ever realize that."

Newt snorted. "I doubt if he ever will…" He paused before continuing. "I hope you know that…not all pure-blood families are like that. At least…not every person of pure-blood is like that…"

Tina smiled softly at him. "I'm guessing your family is pure-blood, then?"

Newt nodded, his expression a cross between apprehension and shame. It became one of relief when he saw that Tina's smile didn't fade.

"Remember, Newt: I'm American," said Tina. "I come from a country that doesn't place nearly as much importance on where you're from as what you do in life. Besides that, you and your brother are all the proof that I need that not all pure-bloods are like that."

Tina's mention of his brother helped Newt change the topic. "I wanted to tell you that you were right about something. It turns out my parents sat my brother down when I was born and told him it was his job as a big brother to look out for me. They said it to him several more times as we grew up."

Tina raised her eyebrows. "You asked him?"

Newt nodded, and then he took a deep breath and told her what his rash words to her two evenings ago had led to between him and Theseus, from the fight to their long talk today that had reconciled them. However, he skimmed over Leta's involvement; this was something that he knew he had to resolve with Leta herself before he could talk about it with Tina.

Tina listened silently, the corners of her lips turned up. When he was finished, Tina squeezed his hand.

"I'm really happy, for both of you, that you were able to mend some fences," said Tina sincerely.

Newt gave a tremulous smile in return. "I knew you would understand," he said softly.

Tina blinked, her eyes bright. Desperate to keep herself from getting choked up, she looked down at Newt's chest. "Is Pickett not with you tonight?"

Newt chuckled and shook his head. "I convinced him to spend some quality time with his brothers and sisters. Though I know he would have loved to see you again, I don't think he relished the idea of being in my pocket while we spun around the dance floor."

Tina giggled, her cheeks pink. "It was nice to read about bowtruckles, as well as demiguises and unicorns, in your book, having seen them for myself."

Newt beamed with pleasure. "I'm so glad you liked the book, Tina."

"I wasn't the only one," said Tina. "I got a copy for my sister and brother-in-law, too. They wanted me to tell you how much they enjoyed it."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," he said, genuinely happy that Tina's family liked it.

"So," said Tina, "Speaking of demiguises…how in Morrigan's name did you find Dougal? A creature who can make himself invisible."

Newt chuckled. "The short version: with immense difficulty."

Tina chuckled. "And the long version?"

Newt looked at her with some surprise. "You…you really want to know?"

Tina nodded. Her salamander eyes had captured him again, and how could he possibly refuse?

* * *

As the evening went on, so did the masquerade ball. The orchestra resumed playing after their break, and the dancing resumed. Those who didn't dance sat at tables in groups of family and friends, rejoicing in the freedom of being themselves in this safe space.

However, a few people noticed (Ingrid Berryroot was among them) noticed that, when the dancing resumed, one couple had not come back onto the dance floor. That couple were not even in the gossamer tent anymore. That didn't mean that they weren't having a lovely time, though.

For over an hour, Newt and Tina remained in the gardens of the Scamander estate, on that bench by the fountain. They sat together, their hands occasionally holding each other's, and talking. To some, that may not sound like much. But these were two people who had never found it particularly easy to have a conversation with another person, let alone for over an hour. What's more, it felt as easy as breathing for the both of them.

Tina would ask Newt about various creatures from his book; what else could she learn about them, and how did he himself come to learn about them? Newt found himself replying to everything she asked, telling her stories of his travels and the various creatures that he'd come to learn about. For Tina, not only did she love learning and listening to all of this, she loved seeing Newt become so animated and confident as he spoke.

Eventually, Newt turned the conversation in Tina's direction. He brought up the case she had been involved with in New York that his brother had told him about this afternoon. Though she was modest about it at first, she was soon answering the specific and genuine questions that Newt put to her. Soon enough, she was talking about her work with as much pride as Newt had been just minutes ago. Newt, on his part, not only loved listening to her speak, but he also was grateful to hear a true auror speak about their good work.

For over an hour, they exchanged stories and facts as if they'd known each other a lot longer than three days. They were so comfortable, together in the garden, that they might very easily have sat there all night if a noise nearby hadn't interrupted them.

"What's that?" asked Tina, standing up, ever the alert auror. Newt, a skilled tracker himself, also stood up, his ears perked.

The mystery was soon solved, though. The sound turned out to be the muffled giggles of a young witch and wizard who had also sneaked into the garden for some privacy. Judging by the sounds that followed, they were doing a lot more than talking.

Tina, her face turning scarlet, walked to the fountain and looked down into the water. Newt's ears turned red, too, but he didn't appreciate being distracted from Tina. So, he cupped his hands to his mouth and made some _very_ authentic barks. Tina looked at him in shock as they both listened to the two young people shriek and scurry out of earshot.

When he heard muffled giggles coming from Tina's direction, he shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "Mother would be furious if strangers trespassed in her garden." He looked at her through his fringe. "Not you, of course, you're my guest."

"Good to know," said Tina brightly. "You're a man full of surprises, Mr. Scamander."

She was teasing, he knew, but her words made him pause before he spoke again. "If that's true…then they're not all good, Miss Goldstein. Eventually, you may discover one that…you won't be able to smile about…"

Images of a teenage Leta and his expulsion from Hogwarts flashed across his mind's eye.

"Hmm…" Newt barely heard Tina over the soft trickling of the fountain. "Well…that cuts both ways, Newt. I mean…there are things that you don't know about me. Morrigan, you've only seen me in pretty dresses that my sister made for me…Whatever you may think of me now could be very different in the light of day…"

Her words and the note of sadness in them caused Newt to look up and at her. She stood facing away from him, looking into the water of the fountain. As he walked towards her, his mouth went dry as his eyes took in her bare shoulders, her neck, her upper back…her pale skin practically glowed in the moonlight…

But Newt forced himself to focus on his main objective: to destroy any doubts in her mind. "Tina…" he said very softly when he stopped right next to her.

She turned her head to look at him.

"Pardon the expression, Tina, but…even if you were covered in hippogriff dung from head to toe, you would still be the most beautiful woman here tonight."

Tina's breath caught in her throat at his words. She knew that there were many people who would laugh at such a compliment, or cringe and criticize it. He knew it, too; she could see that by the fear in his eyes, though he kept his gaze bravely locked with hers. Because he did, Tina saw the true sincerity of his unusual words.

Touched to the core, and wanting to erase the fear in his eyes, Tina inched closer and decided to be as brave with her words as he was being with his. She lifted a hand to his face, and her fingers touched his cheek when she made her reply:

"And even if every single person here tonight was sneering or jesting or laughing at you, Newt, you would still be the most wonderful man here tonight."

Just as she'd hoped, the fear disappeared from Newt's eyes, replaced by something Tina didn't dare name yet. His own hand came up, mirroring her actions, and cupped her cheek. Their faces inched ever closer, and both of their hearts wanted the same thing. But they were still frightened, both in new territory, both still scared to scare the other away.

Their bodies settled for their foreheads resting against each other as their arms found their way around the other in a gentle embrace. How long they stood like that, in a heated but content silence, neither would ever be able to remember.

Eventually, Tina dared to break the silence as softly as she could.

"This is crazy…"

Newt, who knew exactly what she meant, replied just as softly: "Indubitably."

Tina smiled and silently laughed, and Newt did the same. "Crazy…confusing, scary…and _absolutely wonderful…"_

"Isn't it just," Tina said, smiling.

Then, a breeze drifted through the garden. As the scent of roses filled their noses, Tina shivered in the cool breeze. Newt reacted reflexively, bringing her closer to warm her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You're cold," said Newt in a dreamy voice, thrilled to be holding her like this but still concerned for her comfort. "Would you like to go back to the ball now?" His brow furrowed as he remembered how they came to be here.

Tina spoke before he could ask if she was up to it. She lifted her head to look at him. "Jerks like the Malfoys don't scare me, Newt, and I'm okay now, I promise." A drop of shyness came into her eyes again. "And I certainly wouldn't mind dancing with you again. This lovely night isn't over yet, after all."

Newt, his chest full of warmth, couldn't help but lean forward and kiss her cheek (again, he lost his nerve to kiss her where he _really_ wanted to). Her skin was just as warm and soft as he thought, and he delighted in the blush his action brought to her cheeks.

He then pulled out their masks from inside his blazer.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Don't be too let down that these two didn't lock lips. Remember just how awkward these two adorable magical people are. But good things come to those who wait. :)_


	16. The End of the Ball

As Newt and Tina walked from the garden back to the ball, the silence between them was…tense. Not in a bad way, but it was powerful. Both of them knew perfectly well what had nearly happened between them in the garden, because it was what their hearts had wanted so badly to happen. But still, they had held back. They had let their inexperience, fear of rejection, and (annoyingly) logical minds hold them back. Already they were mentally kicking themselves.

But, as Tina had said, the night wasn't over yet.

Walking back into the tent, arm-in-arm again, nobody gave them more than a passing glance. After all, they had their masks on again, one of the many again. As if of one mind, the two of them walked to the dance floor. There, at least, they could be in each other's arm again.

But right before they could step onto the dance floor, a hand on Tina's arm and a familiar voice stopped the both of them in their tracks.

"Miss Goldstein."

Both Tina and Newt looked to their right, and were very surprised to see Leta Lestrange. Through her raven-feathered mask, they could see an urgency in her eyes and tone of voice, though she kept the volume level low as she continued.

"Theseus asked me to find you while he gathered the other members of his team who are here. He's calling an emergency meeting with you all in the library up at the house."

The change that came over Newt and Tina was instantaneous. All of the dreaminess and warmth of their time in the garden was pushed aside for a new, cold, and foreboding urgency. Tina turned to Newt, her eyes alert and her mouth open.

But before she could ask, he wrapped an arm around her and said, "I'll take you there."

In the next moment, they had disapparated.

* * *

When Tina felt her feet on the ground again, she found herself in the middle of a high-ceilinged hallway, portraits along the walls and rich carpet on the floor, standing before a large oak door. Newt let his arm drop from around her waist and wordlessly motioned towards the door.

His meaning clear, Tina removed her mask and knocked on the door. A few second later, it opened just enough for Theseus's face to appear; he, too, had removed his mask. Seeing her, he said, "Good, come inside, we haven't much time."

He stepped aside and opened the door for her. Tina went inside, a quick look of apology over her shoulder to Newt. Instinctively, without really thinking, he stepped forward to follow her, but Theseus held out a hand towards him.

"I'm sorry, Newt," he said before shutting the door on him.

Now alone, Newt tore off his mask in frustration and began to pace. A few seconds later, he saw Leta apparate at the end of the hallway. He hurried towards her as she removed her mask. "What's going on?" he asked.

The look on Leta's face was pinched and worried. "The Minister pulled Theseus and me aside after we'd danced. He spoke low in his ear so I didn't get any details. But it has to be serious if it can't wait until after the ball is over. And we both know the only thing that could mean."

Newt's expression immediately darkened as he finished Leta's thought. "Grindelwald."

Leta nodded. "Either something bad is happening in England right now or the Minister got a tip of something bad that's being planned in England."

"Probably from Dumbledore," said Newt. "You know the network he's established all over England and Europe."

"Speaking of our old professor," said Leta, arching an eyebrow. "Do you really think that Grindelwald would come to England? I mean, doing that would be the equivalent of challenging Dumbledore personally."

Newt nodded, beginning to slowly pace in front of her. "You're right. I can't see Grindelwald being that bold. If he truly thought he could defeat Dumbledore, he would have tried to do it already. This is probably something his followers are doing or planning to do without him getting his hands dirty."

"And it must be happening in this country or else there wouldn't be this sense of urgency and secrecy," said Leta. She shook her head and crossed her arms. "Merlin knows that he has plenty of followers in this country that would do anything he told them to do."

Newt ran a hand through his hair. "No matter the cost, either, to them or anybody else."

For a few moments, they both stood in the hallway in a tense silence. Finally, it seemed that Leta couldn't take it anymore. She pulled out her wand from a hidden pocket of her dress, waved it towards the wall, and two comfortable armchairs appeared.

"Let's sit down, Newt," she said, obeying her own words. "We both know that neither of us is going anywhere until we know what is going on."

Newt conceded her point by sitting down in the other chair. Both looked towards the closed library door, hoping that it would open sooner rather than later.

To distract them both, Leta brought up a lighter topic. "So…where did you and Miss Goldstein sneak off to? I was looking for you two for fifteen minutes before I saw you two come into the tent."

Newt sighed, already longing for time to turn back. "We were in the garden."

"Theseus and I saw you on the dance floor before that for quite a while," said Leta, smiling a little. "Did you both need to catch your breath?"

Newt's lips folded as he remembered. "Well, we'd stopped to have a refreshment. But after a drunken Basil Malfoy accosted Tina, and his wife called her something disgusting, we both felt the need for some fresh air."

Leta made a noise of disgust as she shuddered. "I don't blame you. The last time Theseus and I ran into those two at a dinner, it was a miracle that nobody ended up in St. Mungo's." She looked at Newt. "Is Miss Goldstein alright? I know how nasty the both of them can be."

Newt nodded. "Yes, she's alright, she's…a very strong woman. Told me that she knew that not all purebloods were like that."

Leta nodded slowly and looked down at her hands in her lap. "That's very good to know…"

Her tone caused Newt to look at her, really look at her. As his eyes looked at a beautiful and sophisticated woman, he remembered the beautiful and conflicted girl that had meant so much to his teenage-self. He remembered his promise to Theseus, and since they were both stuck in this situation together, perhaps this was the time to keep that promise.

"Leta…" he began, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "I…I know that I've been an arse to –"

" _Stop_ , Newt."

Leta's tone was so firm and the gaze she fixed on him was just as firm. Newt obediently went quiet, allowing her to continue.

"Of the two of us, Theseus was the only one who deserved your apology. By all accounts, you have every right to hate me, and you who deserve an apology from me." Deep sadness came into her eyes. "You were blamed for my terrible choice at school, and when you took the fall for me, I did nothing to stop your expulsion. You were my best friend, and I let you down. I had reasons that I think you've always understood, but none of them justified what happened."

Newt gave a very slow nod before speaking. "You're right…I _did_ understand…I wouldn't have taken the blame if I hadn't…but, like you said, you were my only friend…I wrote you a letter a few weeks after I left, but you never responded. I never saw or heard from you again until I'd returned to England after my travels."

Leta hung her head. "I knew what a terrible thing I'd done, Newt, even as I'd watched you get expelled and did nothing. The guilt of that, and knowing that you didn't deserve any of it…I felt that had lost the right to your friendship, and that you deserved a lot better than what I could offer." She bit her lip. "But I should have at least told you that, shouldn't I?"

Newt nodded. "Yes, you should have…but I won't berate you for things you can't change." He turned in his chair to face Leta, his expression very serious. "But I will ask you one question, and I need an honest answer: do you love my brother?"

Leta's response was immediate and sincere. "Yes, I do. With all of my heart, I do. He saved me in so many ways, and he helps me see the good in everything, even myself."

Newt nodded in relief and took her hand. "Then that's all I need to know. We can never go back to before, Leta…but I am willing to make a clean slate of it. It may take some time for me to truly trust you again, but I'm willing to try." He gave her a small smile. "After all, we're family now."

Tears spilled out of Leta's eyes, and she squeezed Newt's hand very tightly. "Thank you," she breathed.

Newt nodded, getting choked up himself, and then let go of her hand.

They sat for some minutes in a more peaceful silence, but their gazes kept going back to the library door in nervous anticipation. Finally, Leta asked Newt quietly, "Should one of us find your parents and tell them what's going on?"

Newt shook his head. "Not when we don't even know what's going on, Leta. It will only worry them. Let's wait until –"

Thankfully, at that moment, their waiting ending. The library door opened, and Theseus stepped out. He spotted the two of them and motioned for them both to come into the room. Immediately, Newt and Leta sprang to their feet and hurried to the door.

Upon entering the library, both saw that it was empty except for two people: Theseus and Tina. The latter was standing at the fireplace, her back to the room. Newt immediately made a beeline for her as Leta stayed at Theseus's side. When Newt arrived at Tina's side, his heart sank when he saw her profile. The expression on her face was tight, guarded, and her salamander eyes were burning.

Theseus and Leta walked towards them, and the auror spoke in a serious voice. "The Minister received a tip from Dumbledore. A group of Grindelwald's fanatics are planning a major attack in small settlements along the Dover coasts come morning."

Leta hissed in a breath, and Newt clenched his jaw. Everybody in the room understood the implications of this news: Dover was the point of England closest to Europe's mainland, where Grindelwald was growing more powerful by the day. In other words, this plan was the equivalent of Grindelwald slipping a dungbomb (or worse) through England's front door.

Theseus nodded and continued. "The Minister is calling all available aurors for a meeting at the Ministry in less than an hour. We have to get ahead of this. The rest of my team has already left to go home and prepare." He turned to Tina, who had turned around to face the group. "Goldstein, remember: one o'clock and not a minute later."

"I'll be there," Tina said firmly, her voice soft and her posture stiff.

Theseus nodded. Then, he turned to his fiancée as his face softened. "I need to find Mum and Dad, to tell them what's happening."

Leta nodded and linked her arm with his. "Let's go." She gave Newt and Tina a look of compassion before they disapparated from the room.

Now, Newt and Tina were alone, and the atmosphere was so thick with tension and fear it could be cut with a knife. Looking at her, at this beautiful woman who had made such an impression on his mind and heart, it hit him just how serious this situation could be. And all he could think to say was her name.

" _Tina…_ " His tone held everything that he was feeling and everything that he wanted to say but couldn't.

Tina looked at him, really looked at him, and he felt in his bones that she could hear everything that he'd encapsulated in her name. Her eyes – her salamander eyes – were bright, burning like fire in dark water, as they drank him in.

Then, she gave her own response, but she didn't use any words at all. Tina turned to face him fully, cupped his face in her hands gently, and leaned in all the way.

When her lips touched his, Newt shut his eyes as his heart propelled upwards. Shocked as he was, he wanted to savor this for however long it would last (because he knew it wouldn't be for long). And he was right: it lasted just long enough for him to kiss her back.

But before he could wrap his arms around her, hold her close to him and make the kiss last even longer, she stopped it. As her hands fell from his face, her eyes told him two things: how sorry she was that she had to go, and how happy she was that they'd found each other.

Then, with heart-breaking resolution, she stepped back and disapparated.

* * *

Queenie Kowalski woke up at about a quarter past midnight. At first, she didn't know why. Perhaps Tina had come home and her presence and thoughts woke her up? But no…it wasn't as loud as that. Teenie wasn't here…but something had happened. She sat up in bed and shut her eyes, trying to concentrate. But she couldn't quite grasp it…

But she knew that it had something to do with her sister. Only her sister or her husband could cause this feeling, and Jacob was right beside her, sound asleep.

Thankfully, she didn't have long to sit there and worry. Soon enough, she heard her sister's mind as clear as day calling her name.

 _Queenie! Come help me, please, I'm in my bedroom!_

Like a shot, Queenie got out of bed, grabbed her robe from the bedpost, and wrapped herself in it as he hurried to her sister's bedroom. When she opened the door, Queenie saw her older sister standing by her wardrobe, her hands behind her back. When she saw her sister, she said, "Please, help me get this off…I need to change into my work clothes."

Queenie didn't need to read her sister's mind to understand the seriousness of the immediate situation. Without a word, Queenie shut the door behind her and went to her sister. As she helped Tina out of the gown, she was able to get the specifics of the situation that her sister found herself in right now. Fear filled her stomach as she picked the name 'Grindelwald' from her sister's mind. If his name was involved, it couldn't be good.

As Queenie was putting the golden gown in its garment bag to hang up in the closet, there was a knock on the door. "Ladies? Everything okay in there?" Jacob called through the door.

"Jacob, make Tina a good meal, as quick as you can!" Queenie called through the door. "She has to leave for work, an emergency, and I want her well-fed when she does."

"Got it," said Jacob, and they heard him walk down the hallway to the kitchen.

Tina had been absolutely silent as Queenie had helped her out of the gown, and she was silent as the put on her work clothes: long-sleeved blouse, good trousers, boots, and her long indigo coat. Queenie didn't push her; Tina would talk when she was ready to. She could see that her big sister was preparing herself mentally, just as she had before the Second Salem case in New York broke.

When the two women entered the kitchen, Jacob was pouring chicken and vegetable soup into a bowl for Tina, and he set it down before her when she sat down. "You're the best, Jacob," she said in gratitude before digging in.

As she ate, Jacob looked at his wife, just to get the gravity of the situation. One look at her told him that it was very serious.

Tina ate quickly, downing a glass of water with it. When she was finished, she stood up and spoke to Jacob (knowing that her sister had already gotten the information from her mind). "We got a tip that Grindelwald's followers are planning to attack villages along the Dover coast this morning. The minister is calling all available aurors to get ahead of this situation. I don't know when I'll be back…" Her voice caught, and Queenie had to grip a chair to keep herself from breaking down at the words her sister _didn't_ say:

 _I can't guarantee that I_ will _come back._

Queenie read the newspaper just like Tina did, and she knew by now that, when it came to Grindelwald and his followers, there were no guarantees as to who would win or lose.

Jacob knew this, too; he read their newspaper as well as his own. Wordlessly, he opened his arms to his sister-in-law, and Tina hugged him. "Don't you worry about us," said Jacob, patting her back. "I'll take good care of her, and we'll be right here waiting for you."

Tina nodded and broke the embrace. When she turned to her sister, tears were in both of the sisters' eyes. They embraced, and held each other tightly for half a minute. Jacob stood still, silent, respectful. Finally, Tina let go of her sister, gave them both a loving look, and disapparated away.

Once she was gone, Queenie collapsed into a kitchen chair and began crying. Jacob wordlessly knelt by her side and held her. More than anything, he wished that he could tell her that Tina would be just fine, that everything would be okay. But he had been a soldier who'd fought in a war, so he couldn't in good conscience do that. All he could do was hold her now and be there for her.

And Queenie, powerful empath that she was, appreciated this and held onto him as she cried.

* * *

The masquerade ball ended very shortly after that. After the aurors and their partners had all left, Leta and elder Scamanders used all of their charm and experience to wrap up the party smoothly and without a panic. After all of the guests had gone, Mr. Scamander had taken his worried wife back to the house while Leta, desperate for a distraction, oversaw the cleanup by the Ministry workers.

Newt, through all this, had gone to that familiar spot on the roof by the chimney. This time, he didn't sketch. He barely looked at what was around him. He only had eyes for what he held in his hands, and his eyes kept filling with tears. In his hands, he held a half-mask of golden lace. He'd found it right after Tina had disapparated away; she'd left it on the mantelpiece above the fireplace.


	17. The Light of Day

**A/N:** _Sorry if I scared you with that last chapter! Cinderella was a big inspiration for this story, and I had to find a way for Tina to leave the ball early and abruptly. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it!_

* * *

Neither the Kowalski family nor the Scamander family got any sleep that night or the next morning. How could they until they learned that their loved ones were safe? To keep themselves going stir-crazy, each family found tasks to do in the meantime.

Jacob took his wife from their apartment downstairs into the kitchen of Jacob's bakery. There, they passed the hours baking Tina's favorite breads and sweets. The process of baking was not a quick one, especially if one were reaching for perfection. And these two certainly were. What's more, no magic was used by Queenie this time. Doing the tasks manually, especially kneading the doughs, helped her vent all of the fear and worry boiling inside her.

At dawn, Jacob approached his wife, who was vigorously kneading dough for a cinnamon-raisin bread that Tina loved. "Honey," he said softly. "I need to go open up, the morning rush will start arriving soon. The boys will be here to start in a few minutes."

Queenie nodded. "This dough just needs one more minute before it proves. Then I'll take it upstairs and finish it there."

Jacob nodded. "Can you…feel anything?"

Queenie huffed as she kneaded a little harder. "No, and I hope that it stays that way. At this distance, I don't think I'd know if the danger was over for Teenie. But I do know that I'd feel if she were hurt or worse, no matter the distance."

Jacob rubbed her back. "You feel anything – I mean _anything_ , Queenie – please come and find me. I don't care if I'm in the middle of doing a baked Alaska, okay?"

Queenie managed a small chuckle and she nodded. "I promise."

* * *

Newt did not spend the entire night on the roof. Part of him wanted to, but he remembered that he was not the only anxious person at the estate. So, after the white gossamer tent had been dismantled and all of the Ministry workers had gone, Newt went back inside.

He found his mother, his father, and Leta where he expected to find them: in the library. Not only was it a comfortable room, but it held the best fireplace for Floo communication. All four of them wanted to be on the spot when any news came.

For the next few hours of the night and through the early morning ones, the family of four passed the time as best as they could. Leta read aloud from an old novel, Newt and his father played wizard's chess, and Mrs. Scamander watched her knitting needles magically work on shawl.

When the sun had cleared the horizon, Mrs. Scamander weakly suggested having some breakfast. Nobody responded, however, and she didn't press the issue.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a voice that belonged to none of the four people in the library cut through the tense silence like an arrow.

"Leta!"

All four heads snapped up and turned to the grate, where Theseus's head was resting amid the flames. He looked exhausted, his hair was askew, but he was alive.

" _Theseus_!" Leta sprang up and practically threw herself in front of the fireplace, getting eye-level with her fiancée. His mother nearly burst into tears as she, his father and brother joined Leta. "Oh, thank Merlin!"

He smiled tiredly but tenderly at her. "The worst is over. We had a lucky break. Between some very helpful wizarding families in Dorset and discovering the meeting place of the fanatics, we were able to stop them before any serious damage was done. No casualties, civilian or otherwise. A few minor injuries, but nothing more serious."

Theseus sent a quick but meaningful glance at Newt during the latter half of his small speech. The relief that flooded Newt's being was sweeter than a baby niffler. He lowered his head and ran a finger through his hair.

"We're so glad that you're safe, son," said Mr. Scamander, his arm around his wife and his stiff upper lip trembling ever so slightly.

Theseus nodded gratefully to his father before looking at his mother. "Were you able to send off everybody calmly? I can't imagine the ball going on much longer after the minister and every auror left."

Mrs. Scamander nodded. "Don't worry, we were able to see everybody off without a panic. And, oh, they'll all be so relieved when this news breaks."

"Well, it won't come out to the public until the evening _Prophet_. In the meantime, my team and I will be busy until late tonight or early tomorrow morning. There's a lot to do, both down here and at the Ministry. Leta, will you go into work as soon as you can? I need you to help Demeter with notifications to the families."

"Of course!" said Leta, sitting up. Demeter was Theseus's secretary. "And I'll stay at the Ministry at least until you and your team arrive."

"Thank you," said Theseus gratefully. He then looked at his parents. "I'll come and see you as soon as I can."

"Don't you worry about us, son," said Mr. Scamander firmly. "You're alive, our people are safe, and that's all that matters."

"You do what you have to do," said Mrs. Scamander, "and come see us when it's best for you."

Theseus smiled at them all before his head disappeared into the flames.

Relief was palpable in the library as the elderly Scamanders embraced each other and Leta hugged Newt. When she pulled away, she said, "Come and help me."

Newt just nodded as he stood up with them all. He looked at his parents and asked, "You two will be alright? I could come right back after –"

"No, son, it's alright," said Mr. Scamander. "We both need to get some rest today, after all of the excitement."

"Besides, I know there are some creatures who are expecting you home today," said Mrs. Scamander, smiling at her younger son.

So, after hugging both of them, Leta and Newt disapparated away.

* * *

They apparated into Leta's small office, right next door to Travers's bigger one. "Come on," she said as she left the room. Newt followed her. Just down the hall was Theseus's office, and Leta ended up knocking on that door. It was opened by Theseus's secretary, Demeter, a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties, with a buxom figure and a face that seemed – to put it crudely but perfectly – immune to bullshit.

"Good, you're here," she said to Leta, pulling her into her little office that preceded Theseus's. Newt followed them, still unsure as to why Leta had brought him. Of course he would be glad to help but, knowing both of these women, he knew that they were perfectly capable of handling the notification of this good news to the families on their own.

His clarity came when Leta, smirking at him, asked Demeter, "Would you give me Tina Goldstein's contact information?"

Newt's heart began to pound as Demeter pulled a file from a cabinet, pulled out an index card, and handed it to Leta. She then handed it to Newt, her smirk now a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they would rather hear the good news from you," she said. "Just be sure to send this back to the office promptly."

Newt could only nod, mutter his thanks, and then leave the office before his courage failed him.

* * *

He left the Ministry through the visitor's entrance. By now, he knew the city of London well enough to find a place if he had a specific address. Looking at the card, Newt read Tina's address and her emergency contact information. She lived with her sister (her emergency contact) and her brother-in-law above the latter's bakery. Thankfully, the bakery was only twenty minutes away on foot.

When the building came into sight, Newt paused. Should he go into the bakery or up to the residence? He stepped closer, and the smell of fresh bread washed over him and made his neglected stomach growl, which made his decision for him.

Upon entering the bakery, he found it quite full of people. No wonder, since it was almost noon. Even more lovely scents filled his nostrils, and his stomach felt even more empty, but Newt forced himself to focus. He had come to deliver a message. So, he got in line and moved along with it towards the register.

When it was his turn, Newt was facing a portly man with dark, curly hair, a mustache, and a jovial expression on his face. "Morning, sir," he said with a smile. "What can I get for you today?"

His accent was American, just like Tina's. This prompted Newt to ask, "Are you Jacob Kowalski?"

"The same," replied Mr. Kowalski.

Newt looked to his sides, and then leaned forward so that only this man could hear him. "I have news. About your sister-in-law."

The welcoming expression immediately changed into one of seriousness. He held up a finger to Newt – a clear signal to hold on for a minute – and turned around. "Jimmy! I need you to man the counter for a while!"

After a young man had come to the counter, Mr. Kowalski walked around it and led Newt out of the bakery. He immediately turned to his right and opened a numbered door right next to the bakery entrance. Mr. Kowalski then led Newt up a staircase right inside the door, which ended on a small landing with another door and a welcome mat. But before the baker could put his second key in the lock, the door was opened.

Newt looked at what had to be Tina's sister. He saw very little physical resemblance, especially with her golden curls and blue eyes. But something in the structure of her face, the intensity of her expression, let Newt know that this was indeed Tina's sister.

Mrs. Kowalski's intense expression fell on him, and Newt got the feeling like she could see right through him. Perhaps she could because, a few seconds later, tears of relief filled the woman's eyes and she exclaimed, "Oh, thank Morrigan!"

Her husband immediately went to her and put an arm around her waist. He then turned to Newt, his expression hopeful. "It's good news?"

Newt shoved aside his confusion and nodded. "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Kowalski. The aurors were able to circumvent the attacks and nobody was seriously harmed. She won't be able to come home until late tonight or early tomorrow, but she's alright." He allowed himself to take a deep breath of relief; saying those words aloud cemented this wonderful fact in his heart. "She's alright…"

The husband and wife embraced with joyful tears. Feeling that his job was done and he was now intruding upon a private moment, Newt began to head down the stairs.

"Wait a minute!" said Mrs. Kowalski after him. He obediently paused and turned back around. She looked at him and then gave him a delighted smile. "You're Newt Scamander!"

As complete confusion filled Newt's face, Mr. Kowalski's face lit up in delight. "Oh! You're Tina's fella, right?"

Newt's confused face became scarlet (even as his heart soared at the term). He looked at his feet while he mumbled. "W-well, I…I-I mean, I…I don't know if I'm exactly that…" _I would very much like to be, though._

"Aww!" exclaimed Mrs. Kowalski, pressing her hands together. "Don't worry, honey, you will be very soon!"

This and the gaze this woman had first given him made it click in Newt's mind. "You're a Legilimens!"

Mrs. Kowalski nodded, unperturbed. "Mm-hm. Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. I can't help it; I'm a natural-born one."

Newt shrugged, a little intrigued but not as uncomfortable as some people would be. "It's alright, Mrs. Kowalski."

"Call me Queenie, please," she said. Then, she stepped forward and took Newt's hands. She fixed him with a teary gaze as she spoke in a low voice. "Thank you for coming to tell us. I've been on pins and needles. I've always known that Teenie's job could be dangerous, but here it's different, what with Grindelwald being much closer."

Newt nodded. "I understand." Then, his rumbling stomach loudly broke the moment. He took his hands away and looked down in embarrassment. "I beg your pardon."

"Oh, you poor thing!" exclaimed Queenie. "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday!" She turned to her husband, all business now. "Jacob, you take him back down to the bakery and get him whatever he wants."

Before Newt could protest, Mr. Kowalski was nodding and leading him down the stairs. But then they paused when Queenie called, "Oh, Mr. Scamander!"

"Yes?" he asked, turning his head.

Queenie was now smirking at him with a twinkle in her eye. "I made that mask for Teenie myself, but I can see it's in good hands. Just be sure to ask if you can keep it when you see her again, okay?"

Newt flushed scarlet again and Jacob chuckled as they continued their descent.

When the two men had reached the bottom of the stairs, Newt tried to protest. "Mr. Kowalski, I really –"

"Call me Jacob," the baker interrupted firmly, holding out his hand. As Newt shook it, he continued. "And please let us do this for you. I'm sure you've been as worried as we've been, and not just about Tina. She told us that she works with your brother?"

Newt nodded.

"Then we'll thank God they're both safe. Besides, I doubt if you have any of my kind of money on you, do you?"

Newt couldn't refuse after that. Fifteen minutes later, he had left the bakery with a basket full of fresh loaves of bread and eating the most delicious Danish pastry that he'd ever sampled. By the time he'd finished it, he was convinced that just one bite of a Jacob Kowalski confection would earn him an honorary place among the Wizengamot.


	18. May I Be Your Fella?

The next morning was cloudy and misty, but the rain that had poured all through the previous night seemed to have run out. Underground, the Ministry of Magic was active and busy, like any other normal day. In the auror department, Theseus was in his office, going over the written reports that his team had handed in the previous night while fighting to try and stay awake.

When there was a knock on his door, Theseus called, "Come in," while fighting off a yawn.

The door opened and his little brother took a step inside. Theseus gave him a small grin, and Newt returned it as he closed the door behind him. Theseus got up and they walked towards each other. When the older brother pulled the younger brother in for a hug, his heart rejoiced when the little brother returned the embrace just as tightly. No words were needed.

When they broke apart, Newt took a good look at his brother. "You look dead on your feet," he scolded gently. "What are you even doing here? Surely they'd have given you the day off after working all night."

"The burden of being a boss," said Theseus, rubbing his eyes. "I have to look over and sign off on the reports that my team made about the assignment before handing them over to the Minister. Don't worry, Newt; I'll be done by noon at the latest."

Newt smirked. "You'd better be, or Leta may drag you out of here."

Theseus chuckled. Then, he looked at Newt with gratitude. "She said that the two of you talked…Thank you, Newt."

The magizoologist nodded. Then, he opened his mouth twice before he managed to ask, "So, um…there isn't anybody else from your…team here?"

Theseus smiled sympathetically. "No, Newt, Goldstein isn't here. Since my team worked all night, they get today off and report back as usual tomorrow. However, I hope that won't stop you from trying to see her again today. I only suggest that you try in the afternoon or evening, as I'd like my team to get some much-needed rest."

Newt nodded, his ears tinged pink.

"So, I trust all those creatures you keep in your basement were alright in your absence?" asked Theseus.

"Oh, yes, everyone was just fine," said Newt.

"Any other plans for today? Other than calling on Tina this evening, I mean?" Theseus ended this statement with a smirk.

Newt, to his surprise, gave a huff of annoyance. Thankfully, it was for a completely unrelated reason. "I have a book-signing at Flourish and Blott's this afternoon. Thankfully, it just a signing, and I won't have to make a speech or do a question-and-answer. Hopefully, it will be quick. And other than coming to see you, I'm actually on my way to meet with Mr. Worme. He sent me a letter yesterday asking for a meeting about an expertise he received for me from Romania."

Theseus lifted an eyebrow. "Dragons?"

Newt nodded, his enthusiasm growing. "It seems that a Welsh Green that they have has laid some very unusual eggs, which means that she bred with another kind of dragon, and they want to know if I'd like to be there when they hatch and –"

"Alright, I get it," interrupted Theseus gently. "I won't make you late, then. However, can I ask if you would come to dinner with me and Leta tomorrow night or some night this week?"

"Tomorrow would be fine, Theseus," said Newt. "I know I owe you many dinners. How is Leta doing after all that's happened?"

Theseus smiled softly. "She's amazing, she really is. I know we have the wedding planned for next year but, after this experience, we're thinking of moving it up. Honestly, why should we wait? Propriety be damned!"

Newt grinned. "Well, I'd be happy to help you two do that." He then turned towards the door. "Finish as quickly as possible and then get some rest, brother."

"See you tomorrow, brother," called Theseus as Newt left his office. He then went back to his reports, a smile of peace on his face.

* * *

Tina had never been one who liked to be fussed over; she had been the caregiver for so long that she just wasn't used to being taken care of. However, she made no objections and gave no resistance on this day as Queenie and Jacob fussed over her with food and love. She knew how much her abrupt return home and departure for a dangerous mission had scared them, especially Queenie, so she certainly wasn't going to stop them now.

The auror had returned home by apparating into her bedroom at about two in the morning. She'd barely been able to take off her coat before collapsing onto her bed. She'd woken a few hours later when Queenie crawled into bed beside her and hugged her. Tina had hugged her back and kissed her before falling back to sleep. She'd woken up when it was nearly lunchtime, absolutely ravenous, and she'd nearly cried when she found out just how much her sister and brother-in-law had made for her while she'd been gone.

When Tina felt like she couldn't eat another bite, she looked at the two of them in concern before saying, "I'm sorry that I couldn't notify you two that I was safe myself, with an owl or the floo. Please tell me that you two weren't waiting _all_ day yesterday for an update."

To her surprise, Queenie and Jacob exchanged cat-like smirks at her words. The smirks were still there when they turned back to her. "Oh, don't worry, Teenie," said Queenie. "We got word around noon yesterday. The messenger was _very_ nice."

"Yeah, a really swell guy," said Jacob, who looked like he was trying his best not to giggle. "About your height, long coat, messy reddish hair, lots of freckles…ring a bell for you at all?"

Tina's eyes narrowed and then widened as they realized just what they were possibly implying. Not able to speak, she looked to Queenie to confirm her suspicions as her heart began to pound.

Queenie nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Teenie, it was him. And he is every bit as lovely a gentleman as you've told us he is."

Jacob nodded as he checked his watch. "Well, ladies, I have to get back downstairs," he said, getting up from the table. He kissed Tina's forehead and then said, "Tell your fella that he's always welcome here." After kissing his wife, Jacob left the apartment.

Now alone, Queenie picked up the day's copy of _The Daily Prophet_ , flipped through it, and then folded it open to a certain page. "Teenie, would you do me a favor today?"

"Of course, Queenie," replied Tina instantly.

She handed the paper to Tina, making sure that her sister saw what she wanted her to find. When Tina did, her heart began skipping beats. In between other advertisements, Queenie had circled one in particular: At Flourish and Blott's, Newt Scamander would be there to sign copies of his book, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , from 4 to 5 this afternoon.

"Would you get our copy of his book signed for us?" asked Queenie, still smiling. "It's on the living room coffee table. Get yours signed, too."

Without really thinking, Tina nodded as insecurities began to creep into her mind. "This…would be better than trying to seek him out alone, maybe, at his home or office. Less pressure…in case he doesn't –"

"You _stop_ that!" interrupted Queenie firmly. "He _does._ Believe me, Teenie, I wouldn't lie to you about this. I saw his mind yesterday. When Jacob called him 'your fella,' he said he wasn't sure he was exactly that, and he thought: _I would very much like to be._ "

Tina's widened as wide as they could go. "He…he did?"

Queenie nodded as she got up from the table. "There's something else I want to show you." She walked into the living room and Tina followed her. Queenie bent down over the coffee table and picked up, not only her copy of Newt's book, but an issue of _Spellbound_ magazine (which was Queenie's guilty pleasure).

"This issue arrived this morning, all about the festival," said Queenie, smirking again. She showed Tina the cover. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's the gown that I made you on the cover."

When Tina got a good look at the photograph that covered the front of the magazine, her jaw dropped. The moving photograph was of a masked couple dancing; the man (with messy bronze hair) wore white-tie-and-tails, and the woman (with short dark wavy hair) wore a gorgeous golden gown. Both were smiling and only had eyes for each other.

"You'll be happy to know that neither of you were identified," said Queenie. "There's a little article in there speculating about who it could be, but neither of your names are mentioned."

Tina couldn't deny that she was relieved by that. Not only did it mean that both she and Newt wouldn't get any unwanted attention, she liked having this secret that only she and those she cared about knew.

Looking at the book in her hands, Tina said, "I'll go, gladly…and we'll just see what happens, I suppose."

Queenie gave her an approving smile and hug. "Go get him," she whispered to Tina.

* * *

Though very eager to see Newt again, Tina made a point to go to Flourish and Blott's closer the end of Newt's signing than the beginning. She hoped that he'd be willing to speak with her privately after the signing was over. She also – very purposefully – dressed in clothes that would be ordinary for her: simple white blouse, comfortable dark trousers, and a light summer blazer. He'd only ever seen her in beautiful clothes, as she'd told him last night; now, he would see her as she truly was (at least in her own mind).

When Tina entered the bookshop, she immediately saw a long line that could only lead to one place. She joined it, and followed the snail's pace of its progress towards its destination. As she moved slowly forward, Tina held the two books she had brought close to her chest, over a heart that was beating faster with each step she took.

When she was the next in line, Tina still couldn't see him but she could hear his voice. He was asking the man in front of her his name and then thanking him for coming. The man stepped aside…and there he was. _Newt._

He was dressed in the same clothes that he'd worn when they'd first met, down to the teal coat and messy hair. His head was bent low, holding a quill tightly in his hand, and looking like he was more than ready to leave. When she had stopped right in front of the table, he shook his head a little bit and raised it. "Good afternoon, who should I…"

His voice faded as he took in who was standing before him. Excitement and nerves filled Tina all at once, and all she could do was give a tentative smile as she said, "Um, I've brought two, if that's alright."

Newt nodded dumbly and held out his hands, never taking his eyes from hers. Tina handed him one copy, saying softly, "This one is for Queenie and Jacob." Newt took it and forced himself to look down as he quickly signed it. When he looked back up at her to hand it back, he seemed genuinely relieved that she was still there, as if he was afraid that she had disappeared.

Tina then handed him the other copy. "And…this is mine…" she said shyly, for the power of his gaze was making her heart flutter, just as it had when they'd first told each other their names.

He took her book, opened it, and wrote on the cover page. She couldn't tell the exact words, but it looked like he was writing more than his name in hers. Then, he reached into his jacket and placed something on the cover page; he shut the book before she got a good look at what it was. When he was done, he held it out to her. When she took it, he didn't let go and caught her gaze.

"The butterbeer that the Leaky Cauldron serves is well worth the fifteen knuts a glass they charge," he said very softly, ensuring that only she could hear him. His eyes told her what he was _really_ saying, and she acknowledged it by winking before swiftly moving out of the way so the line could keep going.

* * *

In the Leaky Cauldron, Tina had paid for a glass of butterbeer and took it to a little booth in a corner. She didn't dare look at the books until she'd downed the whole thing (and it really was delicious). Only then, with her stomach full and warm, did she pull out the books from her inner blazer pocket (charmed to hold many objects without making a noticeable impression) and set them on the table.

First, she opened Queenie and Jacob's copy. On the cover page, Newt had simply written:

 _For Queenie and Jacob Kowalski, My very best wishes to you both. Newt Scamander_

She smiled at that, thinking it was lovely. After putting this copy away in her blazer, she looked at her own. With trembling fingers, she opened it to the cover page. There lay her golden lace half-mask from the masquerade ball. Grinning, she set it aside and read what he had written.

 _To lovely Tina, the most extraordinary woman I have ever met. Yours, Newt_

She looked at those words and read them several times, her chest filling with even more warmth.

"Hello, Tina."

She looked up and grinned as she saw him standing over her, looking at her with a slight blush as he noticed what had her attention. "Hi, Newt."

Looking at her shyly, he asked even more shyly, "Would you…like to take a walk with me?"

Her grin, if possible, widened. "I'd like that very much. And thank you for returning my mask."

He returned her grin with relief. After putting everything into her inner blazer pocket, she got up from the booth and followed him out of the pub. Out in the Muggle world, Tina followed Newt's lead, since this was his invitation and they were in a city that he knew better than she did. To her joy, they hadn't even walked a block when Newt accidently-on-purpose bumped his hand with hers. Tina responded by catching it with her own. Both exchanged a shy smile as their fingers laced together.

* * *

Newt led them to a park, and they gladly walked into it. The weather was cloudy but warm, and the atmosphere teased a pouring of rain at any moment. Very soon, the couple found an isolated bench under a tree, and within seconds, they were talking as freely as they had during the festival. Tina told him about the successful mission, and Newt expressed his admiration for her team and relief that both she and Theseus were alright. Newt then talked about his creatures that he'd come home to and the trip he was planning thanks to his meeting today with Mr. Worme.

This topic of his upcoming trip to Romania caused the conversation to take a serious turn. "Tina…" said Newt, turning to face her on the bench and holding her hand tightly. "While I'm abroad…can we write to each other?"

"Of course!" replied Tina at once. "That would be lovely."

"Good, umm…" Newt's voice trailed as he lowered his gaze. He stared at their hands as he tried to form the words that he wanted to ask next. Tina squeezed his hand encouragingly. Eventually, he looked up through his fringe at her when he spoke again.

"That's not the…the only thing that I wanted to ask, Tina. What I want to ask is…I don't want the time that we spent together, at the festival, to be all. I mean, all there is. Because it's not enough. That's not to say that it wasn't lovely, it was wonderful in every way, please don't misunderstand, but I…I would like to keep…well, seeing you, and…"

"Newt," she said, gently interrupting as the corners of her lips turned up. Her expression held equal parts hope and fear. "Are you asking if…you could be my fella?"

Inwardly, she cringed, but it was the most straight-forward way she could put it, and this situation called for straightforward (as all important and life-changing conversations do).

Thankfully, this seemed to be the exact phrase that Newt was looking for. "Yes, that's correct, I would very much like to be your…fellow."

Tina had to giggle at how their accents made that word so different, but all that mattered was that it all came down to the same thing.

His face became a bit somber again as he continued. "It wouldn't always be easy, I feel I should say. This trip that I'm going on may take over a month, and I will have more trips in my future that will last longer than that."

Tina nodded. "I can accept that. It's clear how much you love these creatures, and how much you are doing and would do to help them." She bit her lip. "And it's not just you, Newt. I'll have more missions in the future, especially as long as Grindelwald is still out there. The future may well get a lot darker before it gets brighter."

Newt held her hand with both of his as he looked at her. "And I will accept that. Like my brother, you both fight for the right reasons: to keep us safe and to uphold justice. Though I was raised to believe that worrying means you suffer twice, I will always worry when you two are called away…but that's a price to pay, I suppose."

Tina nodded, and she rested her head on his shoulders so that he didn't see the touched tears that prickled in her eyes at his response. After a few seconds, she said softly, "If I can be your gal, then we've got a deal."

Newt chuckled at the American term and kissed the crown of her head before replying, "It's settled, then."

* * *

This new and unique couple sat in a very comfortable silence for a long time. They watched parkgoers pass by, other couples in the distance and children playing with each other. The clouds began to clear as evening set in, casting the park in a lovely shade of dark gold. When a breeze cooled the air and Tina shivered a bit, she unconsciously scooched closer to Newt. He, in response, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her head again, which still rested on his shoulder.

Eventually, Tina broke the silence with a smirk. "Did you happen to see today's issue of _Spellbound_ magazine?"

Though she couldn't see it, she felt Newt smirk in return. "I did happen to see a display of them in the store today. I must say…the lady on the cover was absolutely breath-taking."

"The man she was dancing with wasn't half-bad, either," Tina replied as her cheeks burned from Newt's compliment. A new thought occurred to her. "Newt…can I ask you something?"

"Of course, love," Newt replied casually.

Tina took a silent moment to revel in this new term of endearment before continuing. "Umm…the night before the ball, you said that you would be able to recognize me by my eyes…I don't understand that. My eyes are a common, boring brown that you see on millions of people."

"I would strongly disagree with that, Tina," said Newt, shaking his head. "For your eyes…they really are…" Then he seemed to stop himself, and Tina felt his shoulder stiffen. "Perhaps I shouldn't say…"

Tina lifted her head from his shoulder so that she could look at him. "Say it anyway," she said firmly, not wanting him to hesitate in telling her anything.

It took him a minute to reply, and when he did, he spoke to her earlobe rather than her eyes. "You see, Tina, perhaps others would call your eyes a common brown, but…you see, in reality, they have this effect in them…It's like fire in water, in dark water…And I've only ever seen that…" It now seemed like a physical effort to finish his sentence. "I've only ever seen that in…in…"

And Tina, who had read Newt's book multiple times now, was able to finish his statement by listening to her heart: "Salamanders."

Newt's head jerked upwards and their eyes met. He looked absolutely astonished, relieved, and profoundly touched. Tina could only respond with a little, humble smile.

This time, it was Newt who cupped Tina's face in his hands and leaned all the way in. She responded to each heartfelt kiss with all of her heart. And this time, thank Merlin, Newt was able to take her in his arms – and also take his own sweet time. And Tina – being the giver that she was – was more than happy to oblige him.

 ** _THE END_**

* * *

 **A/N:** _So comes the end of this story! I hope that this romatic Newtina fluff has been as fun (and therapeutic) for you to read as it was for me to write._

 _To anybody who wants to know, please don't expect anything new from me in the near future. I have a very busy schedule coming up so I can't promise anything new right now. But never fear - there are more stories in me yet! :)_

 _Au revoir!_


End file.
